The In Between
by yunakitty
Summary: Junjou Egoist, NowakixHiroki. What happened in the six years between meeting and coming back from America. Yaoi, lemon. Very sweet fluff with some serious plot as well. The Egoist boys at their best! Previously called Love Me.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: This takes place in the first year Nowaki and Hiroki are together.**

"Dinner is ready, Hiro-san." Hiroki scowled as he heard the annoyingly pleasant voice chime out from the kitchen. He was so close to finishing his work, and that moron boyfriend of his picked right then to say dinner was ready. It was so typical.

"Fine, fine," Hiroki grumbled, hefting his laptop to the table with him. He continued to peck at it as Nowaki set a plate in front of him.

"Itadakimasu," Nowaki said.

"Itadakimasu..." Hiroki mumbled, ignoring his plate for the time being to fumble with his work a little longer. He finally turned to the meal, raising an eyebrow at it. "What the hell is this mess?"

"Nikujaga," Nowaki replied calmly.

"Eh? Who said we could have that home cooking crap?"

"Forgive me, Hiro-san," Nowaki said, his eyes crinkling into a smile. "I really wanted to have it tonight. It reminds me of Fujimori-san at the orphanage. She would make this for us when..."

Hiroki cut him off swiftly. "Yeah, yeah, don't get all nostalgic on me," he snapped. "I'm trying to concentrate on my work. Do you mind?" Nowaki shook his head, and Hiroki sniffed and turned back to typing, pausing every now and then to take a bite of his food.

It was when Nowaki was cleaning up the dishes that Hiroki triumphantly smiled and shut his laptop. "There! Finished. Now, what were you blabbering on about?"

Nowaki glanced back at him, then kept scrubbing dishes as he spoke. "Oh, I was saying that one of the caretakers used to always make nikujaga for dinner when it was someone's birthday. That's why I wanted to have it tonight."

"Hmm," Hiroki said, shrugging at what seemed like another of Nowaki's little quirks. Then he froze. "Wait a minute...why did you want to have it tonight?"

Nowaki smiled pleasantly. "Because it's my birthday."

Hiroki groaned and slumped forward. "Why didn't you tell me, you idiot? Arg, I would have done something for you if I had known!"

Nowaki just continued to scrub at the dishes. "I did tell you, Hiro-san. You must not have heard me. I just assumed you were too busy to do anything, so I made my favorite dinner instead."

Hiroki blinked a few times, then rubbed his forehead. "Well, um, you shouldn't have to do the dishes on your birthday," he pointed out, and stood up to approach the sink.

"I really don't mind," Nowaki insisted.

"No, you moron, just let me do them!" Hiroki shouted at him.

"Well...they are all done now," Nowaki said, setting the last dish in the rack.

"Aughhh! Why won't you ever let me do anything nice for you?" Hiroki complained. "Why do you have to be such a martyr?"

"It's fine, really, Hiro-san," Nowaki said, drying his hands off. "I'm just happy to be with you today." He smiled warmly, and Hiroki got an unpleasant feeling in his stomach.

"I'm such a jerk," he mumbled. "It's your birthday, and I totally ignored it; and even worse, I've been cutting you down and yelling at you about it. When it's my own stupid fault!" He clapped a hand to his face. "Why do you put up with me?"

Nowaki took him into an embrace suddenly, wrapping his long arms around him. "Because I love you, Hiro-san."

"Well, you shouldn't love me," Hiroki mumbled, his face pressed into Nowaki. "Only a moron would love a self centered guy like me! Argh...there I go again. I keep insulting you."

"It's okay," Nowaki said, pulling back to find Hiroki's lips with his own. "I feel lucky to be with you," he breathed, then pressed his mouth against Hiroki's.

Hiroki groaned softly into the kiss. He was the lucky one, really. Nowaki did almost all the house chores without a single complaint. He was agreeable to a fault, and never argued with Hiroki about anything. He bent his own schedule to Hiroki's whim, yet Hiroki still cut him down and got mad at him over petty things. He had to change that...if even just for tonight.

"Nowaki..." Hiroki whispered as he brought his lips away. "Let me do something special for you tonight."

"Hmmm?" Nowaki looked surprised. "What?"

"I don't know...anything you want."

"I don't want anything but you."

"Yes, you can have me...but is there anything special you want? I'll do anything."

Nowaki slowly shook his head. "No, I can't think of anything."

This aggravated Hiroki and made him revert to his old ways rather quickly. "Argh! Why can't you be more creative?" he shouted up at his boyfriend. "I'm giving you free license to dress me up in a frilly skirt or paddle me or even take nude pictures of me! And all you can say is _I can't think of anything_? What a -" He broke off, covering his mouth. "Ugh...there I go again," he mumbled.

Nowaki raised his eyebrows. "Do you want me to paddle you, Hiro-san?"

"No! But it's not about what I want, it's about whatever you want! It's your birthday."

"I don't want to do anything that would be unpleasant for you. You should choose," Nowaki suggested.

"That ruins the whole point!" Hiroki protested. "You pick!"

"But I don't want to pick something you won't like," Nowaki said calmly.

Hiroki took a deep breath to keep from shouting again. "How about you name things, and I'll tell you whether or not I want to do them. Okay?"

Nowaki nodded, and the two of them sat on the bed, where Nowaki leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and then his chin on his fists. He thought deeply for some time, until he finally spoke hesitantly. "Um...well...would you...no, I can't ask such a thing." He frowned and looked away.

"Just tell me," Hiroki said, trying to sound encouraging but feeling rather impatient.

Nowaki blushed, then continued. "Do you think I could...tie you up?"

Hiroki felt his face get warm, but he managed a little cough to cover up his embarrassment. "Yeah, okay..."

"Are you sure that's all right with you?" Nowaki asked hurriedly.

"Oh, yeah, it's fine," Hiroki said. He licked his lips slightly. "Actually, it sounds kind of fun."

Nowaki looked delighted. "Really! Oh, wow!" He was like an overeager child as he leapt to his feet and scurried over to the dresser, pulling out several of Hiroki's neckties.

"Whoa, you're a little too excited about this," Hiroki mumbled, but Nowaki didn't hear him. He just spun around, clutching an assortment of ties, absolutely beaming.

"Okay, are you ready?" he asked cheerfully. Hiroki nodded, feeling a strange mixture of fright and amusement. He had a feeling that this was going to be incredibly goofy, but he also had the nagging feeling that it might get a little more wild than he was anticipating. Nowaki advanced upon him, kissing him eagerly as he dropped the ties on the bed. Large hands fumbled with his shirt buttons, getting them open and then peeling the shirt back and off. Nowaki's mouth wandered to Hiroki's neck, kissing, sucking and biting as he went.

Hiroki moaned, falling back on the bed as his tall boyfriend layered himself over him. His pants and underwear were soon disposed of, and Hiroki lay on the bed, feeling very exposed and apprehensive as Nowaki pulled up to get the ties. "Face down," Nowaki said, and Hiroki was startled by the sudden authority in his voice. _Well, the boy better not start getting a big head. He can't order me around..._

"Face down," Nowaki repeated, lower and colder this time. Hiroki nodded frantically, and flipped over. He felt his hands being grabbed roughly, and a tie being wrapped and secured around them. Nowaki then laced another tie through the bond between his wrists, and tied that to part of the headboard. Hiroki struggled against the bonds just to test them, and swallowed hard when he realized he couldn't get out of them if he wanted to.

Mercifully, Nowaki left his legs unbound, and his hands went to Hiroki's thighs, parting them. "Yeah...get up on your knees for me," he said in a low voice. Hiroki complied, and then turned his head to look back at his boyfriend, who was undressing while staring at him with half lidded, lust filled eyes. Hiroki swallowed hard once again. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

Nowaki got the bottle of lube from the bedside table drawer, and popped it open, dribbling it directly on his erection. Hiroki eyes it nervously. It looked even more enormous than usual for some reason. _But that must be my imagination_, Hiroki chided himself. Nowaki tossed the bottle aside casually, and then moved up against Hiroki's body, nudging the tip up to his entrance. Hiroki gave a little whimper, and Nowaki laughed in a strange tone. "You like that, don't you?" he asked, his voice full of intent.

Hiroki swallowed and nodded quietly. "You'll like it even more when I ram it inside of you," Nowaki hissed. Hiroki was shocked; Nowaki never talked like that. He shuddered, half out of pleasure and half out of fear. "Oh, you're trembling...how adorable..." Nowaki purred, as he moved his hips and began to penetrate him. Hiroki moaned at the sensation as Nowaki gripped his thighs and pulled him back against him. "Oooh, yes, cry out for me. I love that." Hiroki just gave a little whimper, and then his eyes bugged out as Nowaki slapped him hard on the ass. "No, louder," he insisted, and Hiroki squealed in surprise as his boyfriend quickly popped him again. "Yes, I like that. Do it again."

Hiroki began to moan loudly, both for Nowaki's pleasure and because the man had begun to thrust into him with force. He buried himself completely inside, pulled it out all the way, and then thrust deeply again. He then began making shorter, fiercer thrusts, and reached around to Hiroki's own erection, stroking it roughly. "Mmm...you like it...see how hard I've gotten you?" Nowaki growled, and Hiroki could only moan helplessly. It felt so wonderful...the fear mingling with the pleasure...it was so hot and unexpected to be dominated by Nowaki in such a way.

Hiroki's body tensed up as the feeling overwhelmed him. He couldn't believe he was already at the brink. As he began to gasp brokenly, Nowaki smirked with satisfaction, thrusting even deeper into him. He always could tell when his lover was close. "I'm going to make you come," Nowaki said, his voice deep and raspy. "Oh yes, you're going to come for me..." He stroked Hiroki quickly, and they both cried out as Hiroki exploded with pleasure, covering Nowaki's hand in his essence. Nowaki made a few shallow thrusts and then gave a low, animalistic cry as he spurted out deep within Hiroki's body.

They collapsed together on the bed in the aftermath, just breathing heavily and trying to recover. After a few minutes, Nowaki jumped up and wiped his hand off, then frantically began untying the restraints. "I'm sorry, Hiro-san! Forgive me! I got carried away!" Nowaki apologized, his voice back to its normal smooth, pleasant tones. "I was very inappropriate towards you," he said, sounding ashamed.

Hiroki rolled himself over with some difficulty. "Now, don't go apologizing now, you big idiot...that takes all the thrill out of it. Just shut up while you're ahead," he reproached him. He rubbed his wrists gingerly.

Nowaki got over him, kissing him and then pressing his face into his neck. "We're okay, right? You're not mad at me for all that?"

"Of course I'm not mad at you," Hiroki said. "Stupid."

And so, they went back to being the same as ever...


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Hiroki was messing around in the kitchen, becoming more and more frustrated at his own ineptitude, when there was a knocking at the door. He swore lightly under his breath, then went to answer it.

"Good afternoon, Hiro-san," Nowaki's smooth voice said, his smoky blue eyes fixed on Hiroki's face.

For some reason, Nowaki had been the last person Hiroki had expected. It wasn't like they were living together; the kid just dropped by seemingly whenever he felt like it, or they got together whenever Hiroki was feeling needy (though he'd never admit it) and would hang around one of Nowaki's part time jobs waiting for him to get off, all the while acting like he was doing no such thing.

"What are you doing here so early, Nowaki?" Hiroki grumbled, still not moving to allow him entrance. The kid usually came in the evenings, and Hiroki would gladly step aside to allow him to cook dinner, clean the house, and wash laundry for him. (All after working several part time jobs..._I really am a jerk_, Hiroki thought to himself.)

Nowaki's face wavered for a moment. "Oh. I'm sorry, Hiro-san. Am I too early? I'll come back later."

"No, no, you're already here. Just come on in, you big oaf." Hiroki cringed internally for insulting him right off the bat, but it seemed to be a habit he couldn't break.

Nowaki stepped into the apartment happily. "It smells good in here, Hiro-san. Are you making something?"

Hiroki froze. He had totally forgotten the project he had been working on. "No! I changed my mind! Get out!" he shouted at Nowaki, pushing him forcibly towards the door.

Nowaki's eyes widened in surprise, but he held his ground and wouldn't allow Hiroki to push him out when he saw what was on the kitchen counter. "Hiro-san...is that a birthday cake?" He looked absolutely thrilled.

Hiroki's brow furrowed. "Well, allegedly it's a cake. A few things went wrong along the way..." he trailed off as Nowaki approached the counter with a simple, goofy look on his face. "Now, don't wet your pants about it or anything, retard! It's just a crappy cake! So what?"

Nowaki spun around to face him. "Oh, Hiro-san. No one has ever made me a homemade birthday cake before." His eyes shimmered with joy.

"Seriously? But you're nineteen years old! Oh yeah, the orphanage. Geez, they were that broke? They couldn't even make a cake for a sappy kid like you?" Hiroki started to say more, but the air was crushed out of him as Nowaki enveloped him in a loving hug.

"Hiro-san...I love you so much. You are so wonderful to me," Nowaki breathed into Hiroki's tousled hair.

"No, I'm not. I just made you a box mix cake. The frosting came from a can, too," Hiroki mumbled.

"It doesn't matter," Nowaki sighed happily. "Can we eat it?"

"Well, YOU can eat it if you want to. I'm a little afraid," Hiroki admitted. Nowaki eagerly set into the cake and was soon eating a slice. Hiroki watched him nervously. "It's all right? Edible and everything? Nothing...crunchy in it?" He thought with guilt about the eggshell top that had slipped down into the bowl while he was mixing, never to be seen again.

"It's wonderful," Nowaki said earnestly.

"You're lying," Hiroki muttered, snatching the fork from him and taking a bite. "Meh...it's edible after all. But it's certainly not good! You have terrible taste."

"No, I don't," Nowaki insisted. "I chose you, didn't I?"

"That's not the kind of taste I'm talking about, stupid!" Hiroki protested. Their affectionate bickering continued into the night, when Hiroki took Nowaki out to a family style restaurant. "You know, to make up for you having to make your own birthday dinner last night."

After they were done eating, Nowaki started to trail towards the train station in their usual path, where they usually parted ways. But Hiroki reached out and grabbed his sleeve, tugging him back towards his apartment. "Um, you can, you know...stay over tonight." Hiroki refused to make eye contact with him, his cheeks ablaze with scarlet.

"Okay, Hiro-san," Nowaki said smoothly, trying to suppress a goofy grin that he knew Hiroki would chide him for. Hiroki often allowed him to spend the night, but never said that he wanted him to spend the night. He always layered it under excuses of, "My apartment's closer to the flower shop, and you've got to be there early," or "You look like you're going to pass out from exhaustion, you big retard. And if you pass out in the street, I just know they'll call me because you don't have anyone else, and I can't be bothered! So just stay here tonight!"

Nowaki smiled affectionately as he thought of Hiroki's blustering tales. He knew that Hiroki loved him deeply and just wanted him near, but was too full of pride to admit it. This had become such a regular thing that he now kept a few changes of clothes at Hiroki's apartment, for instances like this. He didn't need his own toiletries; abject poverty as a child had never predisposed him to preferences for one shampoo over another, and he used whatever Hiroki had available. (Which usually prompted more complaining. "Do you know how much soap it takes to clean a body as enormous as yours?!" "I'm sorry, Hiro-san. I'll buy some more soap." "No, no, that's not the point, you idiot...")

Back at Hiroki's apartment, the men took turns taking their nightly showers. Nowaki had gently suggested they get in together, but Hiroki had shot him down. "No way! I end up an ice block in the corner while your giant hulking body blocks every drop of water from the shower head! So no!"

They finally lay down in Hiroki's bed a little while later. Nowaki moved up close behind Hiroki's body, pulling the man's smaller frame close. He pressed his nose to the back of Hiroki's neck. "Ah...Hiro-san...you always smell so good."

"No," Hiroki said crisply.

"No what?"

"No, we're not gonna do _that_. Have you already forgotten how hard you fucked me yesterday, you big birdbrain? So get those filthy thoughts out of your head."

"I wasn't thinking filthy thoughts," Nowaki insisted, but continued to nuzzle Hiroki's neck. He pressed his hips against Hiroki's back, and earned a squeal from the older man as his throbbing erection poked him.

"See! See? You _are _thinking nasty thoughts, you pervert. Stop doing that."

"I can't, Hiro-san," Nowaki breathed, now nibbling on his ear as he reached around and smoothed a large hand over Hiroki's chest, grazing past his hardened nipples. "See, you're hard right there. Are you turned on?"

"No, I'm just cold," Hiroki grumbled.

"Then let me warm you up..." Nowaki pleaded, pulling him in even closer and continuing to move his large, hot hands all over Hiroki's body. He soon discovered the almost fully swollen manhood below Hiroki's waist, and smiled out of Hiroki's vision. "You _are _turned on."

"No, I..." Hiroki tried to protest, but it just melted into needy moans as Nowaki reached into his pajama pants and stroked him. Nowaki own erection ached desperately, but he tried to ignore it and focus on pleasuring Hiroki.

However, luckily for him, Hiroki suddenly pushed him back, turning around to face him quickly, and then wriggled to get his face below Nowaki's waist. "I better just blow you before you ram that ridiculously huge thing up my ass before I can say anything," Hiroki panted, then tugged Nowaki's boxers down sharply and took the weeping head into his mouth. Nowaki cried out loudly in pleasure, lifting his hips stiffly off of the bed.

Hiroki pleasured him expertly, as always. Nowaki refused to think about how Hiroki was so good at it...he knew the man was four years older than him, and surely had many partners before him. But he couldn't think about that, or he would feel the need to track down every last one of them and beat them up for touching his precious Hiro-san. He knew that was an absolutely stupid and reckless idea, so he settled his mind on the fallacy that Hiroki was just a natural at it because he loved him so much. Yes, that was why.

Meanwhile, Hiroki was working him steadily towards orgasm. "Oh, oh...Hiro-san..." Nowaki gasped. "I'm...I can't..." He let out a low cry as he released suddenly, filling Hiroki's mouth with his essence. Much to his surprise, Hiroki swallowed it smoothly, and pulled away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You...you swallowed it," Nowaki said in disbelief. That was something Hiroki never did.

"Yeah, well, it's more of a hassle holding it in my mouth and flailing for tissues," Hiroki admitted. "So...yeah. Happy birthday. That was another present."

"Oh, Hiro-san. You are so wonderful," Nowaki gushed, and before Hiroki knew what was happening, the larger man had him pinned to the bed. He kissed him deeply, forcing his tongue between Hiroki's lips.

"Gross," Hiroki spluttered as he broke out of the kiss. "I just had your dick in my mouth, and you're licking all over it. Weirdo."

"It doesn't matter," Nowaki whispered, kissing Hiroki deeply once more. He then kissed a trail down Hiroki's jawline and then his chest, noting with happiness how the older man's breathing had sped up significantly. He yanked his pajama bottoms down and quickly grasped Hiroki's erection, licking the tip eagerly. He closed his lips over the head and began to suck, stroking at the shaft with his large hand.

Hiroki panted raggedly as he looked down on Nowaki working on him. Admittedly, the boy was lousy at it. But it didn't seem to matter...there was something thrilling about the fervent way he went at it, that surpassed his sloppy techinique and made Hiroki come hard every time. Just the idea that someone was so smitten with him...it turned him on more than any skill ever could.

Hiroki remembered the many partners he had in the past. They were almost always guys that he would meet while drunk at the bar, bring home, and blow on his couch while trying to pretend they were Akihiko. But inevitably, they would say something so very un-Akihiko that he would get angry and be forced to throw them out. It was a sick, never ending cycle...until he met Nowaki. Suddenly, he didn't want to hear Akihiko's voice groaning while he pleasured someone. He wanted to hear Nowaki's smooth, calm voice get desperate and loud with ecstasy. That was all he cared about hearing anymore.

He brought his mind back to the present, and looked back down at Nowaki working feverishly for all he was worth, and he felt a surge of pleasure. "That's it, Nowaki," he encouraged. "Now, faster..." He cried out as Nowaki sped up to an impossible pace. "Not that fast! Oh! Oh! Ahhh!" Hiroki climaxed before he had intended to, spilling out into Nowaki's eager mouth.

"Was it good?" Nowaki asked, looking for praise like a small child would as he wiped his mouth and moved up on the bed.

"Of course it was good," Hiroki murmured. "I came, didn't I? Now get that goofy grin off your face and lay down. I have class early in the morning and I can't stay up all night writing love poems with you."

Nowaki's face lit up. "Love poems?"

Hiroki groaned. "Oh no...now I've given you an idea..."


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks later, Hiroki stirred awake one morning. "Which job is it today?" he asked from the bed. Even though it was still dark outside, Nowaki had silently risen from the other side of the sheets and begun to dress himself in the moonlit room.

"The construction one," Nowaki replied.

Hiroki rolled over, surreptitiously moving into the large warm spot Nowaki had recently vacated and breathing in his scent from the pillow. "I hate that you do that one. It's so...macho. You're too gentle of a person to be lugging bricks around."

Nowaki chuckled softly. "I may have a gentle heart, but I assure you, I'm more than strong enough to handle the work."

Hiroki sighed. "I know. But you're too smart to be doing physical labor for a living. I've seen your grades." Nowaki was doing his core classes at a modest community college in the area, and was rapidly building credits and an impressive GPA.

"I'm glad that you think I'm smart. But the thing is, this job pays twice as much as the other jobs, so I can have more time for studying. I need to do this right now. I don't plan to work in construction my whole life." He buttoned his pants as he talked.

"Well, that's a relief," Hiroki mumbled, his face pressed in Nowaki's pillow. "It'd be embarrassing when I'm a distinguished professor to be walking down the street and get whistled at by you and your bonehead coworkers."

Nowaki laughed quietly. "I assure you, I don't whistle at anyone. I just do my work as quickly as possible."

"Yeah, you better," Hiroki grumbled. "I better not catch you whistling at girls!" He remembered how jealous it made him feel to see the clumps of schoolgirls that flirted with Nowaki incessantly at his flower shop job.

Nowaki smiled pleasantly down on Hiroki. "I would never do such a thing. Hiro-san, I only have eyes for you. I don't even see anyone else in that way."

"Whatever," Hiroki mumbled, trying to hide his face and the pleased flush that was spreading over it. "You say the dorkiest things."

Nowaki just laughed smoothly, and bent at the waist to lower his face to Hiroki's. "Goodbye, Hiro-san." He pressed a light kiss to Hiroki's cheek. Hiroki grumbled something inaudible, so Nowaki just smiled and departed.

Hiroki soon fell back asleep, but was awakened by the phone ringing shrilly. He winced and blinked against the strong sunlight that was seeping into the room. It was Sunday, and he had no classes, so he had slept as late as he wanted to. A quick glance at the clock while reaching for the phone revealed that it was ten a.m. "Hello?" he barked into the receiver, displeased at being disturbed.

"Is this Mr. Hiroki Kamijou?" a strangely formal voice said on the other end.

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "I don't want to buy anything," he groaned, and moved to hang up the phone.

"No, sir, this isn't a telemarketing call," the voice said quickly. "This is Matsuhashi General Hospital. We have your name and number here as emergency contact information for a patient who just came in." Hiroki froze, and his blood ran cold. He couldn't believe in that instant that he was actually praying for it to be his mother and not who he thought it was. "Nowaki Kusama."

Hiroki's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. "What happened?" he heard himself asking, though he couldn't remember his brain telling his mouth to say it.

"It seems there was an accident on the construction site where he worked. Several men were injured, and - "

"Is he alive?" Hiroki said, feeling as if his throat was going to close up.

"Yes, but he is in critical condition, and - "

"I'll be right there!" Hiroki cut him off once more, and then slammed the phone down. He stripped himself of his pajamas in the blink of an eye, and put on the first set of clothing he could get his hands on, then ran out the door. Matsuhashi General was in another district, so he had to take the train, shoving people out of his way indiscriminately as he made his way there with unwavering tunnel vision.

He barreled in the entrance, gasping for breath as he approached the front desk. He yelled at the frightened clerk, who swiftly directed him where to go. He hurried in to the overflow area of the ER, where the entire room was being used to house and treat the men who had been injured in the accident. Some other workers, including the foreman, milled around nervously along with what appeared to be loved ones of the injured, and Hiroki desperately scanned the curtain divided room. He could see feet sticking out of each partition, and didn't know where to look first. The room was crowded with not only the injured and their loved ones, but the hospital staff, who pushed through the crowds impatiently, trying to do their work.

"He's crashing!" a nurse cried out sharply, and several medical workers hustled over to one area. There was a frenzy of activity, and people tried to get close to see what was going on. Another nurse angrily ordered them back, urging them to let them treat the man. Hiroki felt like he was frozen in time as he watched the buzz of people swarm around the poor patient.

"It's over," the doctor said in disgust, snapping off his gloves. "Time of death, 10:46 a.m." A murmur went through the assembled crowd. "Get these people out of here!" the doctor yelled, agitated with his loss of a patient. Two nurses then steadily pushed everyone out of the area.

"Wait!" Hiroki shouted. "I need to see...I'm here to see..." He couldn't even get the words out as other people yelled over him in protest, wanting to be near their loved ones.

"I'm sorry, but everyone needs to step out into the waiting room...You can see your family member when they are admitted to a room," one nurse explained, and the crowd clamored against her, but it was no use.

Out in the ER lobby, Hiroki crumpled down into a chair. He felt totally shellshocked, having no idea what Nowaki's status was. _For God's sake, I don't even know if he was the one they just coded!_ he thought to himself, and then let out a little cry of anguish as he buried his face in his hands.

After a while, he looked up and surveyed the rest of the people waiting for news. There were the uninjured construction workers, the foreman, and other than that, it was all weeping women. _Of course. None of these macho men would have a man sitting around crying for them._ _Which was exactly why Nowaki didn't belong there in the first place. If only he had listened to me, that big idiot!_ Hiroki screamed in his own head. _And now this! I can't take it!_

Hiroki buried his face in his hands once more, but then lifted them as a nurse entered the room with a clipboard. "Koji Hashibara. Taro Mishida," she called out. Two of the aforementioned weeping women rose up. "Your husbands have been admitted to the fourth floor. Please go there and the clerk at the desk will tell you what rooms they are in." The women murmured words of relief and thankfulness, then hurried off for the elevators together.

Hiroki slumped back in the chair. _I wonder when I'll find out something_, he thought. _Well, at least he's not the dead one, right? They would have said something...wouldn't they? Or maybe they wouldn't... _ His mind raced in exhausting circles about the matter, and he finally had to drop it.

"Nowaki Kusama. Soji Ebihara," the nurse called out crisply and suddenly. Hiroki flew to his feet, and hurried closer to the nurse. The foreman and another worker also approached.

"Soji don't have no family local, so I suppose we better check on 'im," the foreman said. Hiroki just stayed silent and waited for the nurse to speak.

"They've been admitted to the sixth floor. Please go there and inquire at the desk for their room numbers." Hiroki nodded, swallowing hard, and turned on his heels towards the sign pointing out the elevators. The two other construction workers followed along behind him, much to his annoyance.

Inside the elevator, the foreman spoke. "You here for Kusama? I thought he didn't have no brothers." Hiroki just stayed silent, staring at the increasing numbers as the elevator rose steadily towards the sixth floor. "Or are you his roommate?" Still Hiroki said nothing.

At the sixth floor, he strode towards the desk, where he slapped his hands on the counter and demanded to know what room Nowaki was in. The startled unit coordinator looked at a large whiteboard, then informed him that he was in 609A, and pointed him in the right direction. Hiroki hurried off down the hall, cursing under his breath as the construction workers went the same way after talking to the woman and being told 609B.

He reached room 609A, and with a shaking hand, pushed the door open. It was a double room, divided with pull curtains, but a sight was visible that made Hiroki's heart seize up in his chest - Nowaki laying in a hospital bed, his eyes closed, tubes coming out of him in every direction.

"Oh God, Nowaki!" Hiroki cried, stumbling forward. "Oh God, don't die! I'm sorry for all the times I called you a big idiot and a hulking moron!" He clutched on to Nowaki's pale green hospital gown, burying his face in his chest and desperately trying to find his normal scent through all the harsh medical smells. "This is karma for me, I just know it! I should have read that poem you wrote me instead of tearing it up! I shouldn't have acted like I didn't care when you kissed me goodbye this morning! Because I do care! I'm just stupid when it comes to love because no one's ever loved me like this before! I don't know what to do when I'm being treated wonderfully...you're so good to me, Nowaki, and I never tell you! But I should! Oh God, I love you so much, and now I'll never be able to tell you how much!"

He cried into Nowaki's chest. All this, and the man still hadn't woken up. "You're never going to wake up, are you? I'm going to be all alone again..." he trailed off into a frenzy of sobs, pausing only to glare back evilly at the eyes he felt on his back. "What are you looking at?" he spat at the foreman and worker. They backed away with wide eyes. "I don't give a damn what you think!" he shouted, and then turned back to Nowaki, wailing once more.

"Oh, please, please, wake up," he pleaded pitifully. "I'll never be mean again. I won't make fun of how big you are. You can do anything you want to me. All those sick, twisted things you wanted to do...like cuddling and watching fireworks, or taking a bubble bath together. I'll even do that! So just please, please wake up!" Hiroki sobbed desperately, his voice choking in his throat.

"Please don't cry...Hiro-san..." Hiroki jerked his head up, looking at Nowaki's face in disbelief. His cloudy blue eyes were groggy and only half open, but he was awake. "I don't like to see you cry."

"Oh God, Nowaki!" Hiroki cried, and smothered his face in quick, grateful kisses. "I've so relieved! You don't know how worried I was! I- I..." he broke off into unintelligible sobs, and Nowaki patted his head gingerly.

"I'm okay," Nowaki assured him. "They had to sedate me so that they could remove some debris from my leg. I think. But I'm going to be fine."

"I'm so happy," Hiroki murmured.

Nowaki patted his head again. "Ah, Hiro-san...you have bed head."

Hiroki blushed, sitting up and smoothing the back of his head with his mouth open slightly. "I had to hurry here...I was sleeping in when they called."

"It's cute," Nowaki said, smiling dreamily.

"Cute? It's not cute! It's ridiculous looking! And don't call me cute; I'm four years older than you! You're not allowed to call me cute!"

Nowaki just smiled more. "You're cute when you get angry..."

"What did I just say?! Don't call me cute, you big oaf! I don't care if you just nearly died, you lunking moron! I'll...eep." Hiroki broke off and clapped a hand to his mouth. "I just promised to not say those kinds of things any more."

"It's okay. You're just upset right now," Nowaki said softly. "But, you can make it up later by taking that bubble bath with me..."

Hiroki blushed madly, steaming silently for a moment before hissing at his lover. "You heard that?"

"I heard everything, Hiro-san."

Hiroki blew his top. "Ack! I'll have to kill myself now! I can't believe I said all those stupid things! I'll never be able to live it down!" He continued to rant and rave, as Nowaki patted his arm soothingly.

"Relax, Hiro-san. It made me very happy. That's what woke me up."

Hiroki calmed down. "Really?"

"Really."

"Well, then I guess it was necessary," Hiroki blustered, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "But, you know, I told you so. I told you this job was dangerous."

Nowaki shook his head. "You never said it was dangerous. You said it was only for macho men and that I was too smart to do it."

Hiroki waved his hand breezily. "Well, that's what I meant, of course. Smart people shouldn't do dangerous stuff." His face turned serious as he suddenly clasped Nowaki's hand. "Please quit this job," he begged.

Nowaki's brow furrowed. "But I won't be able to afford my classes any more."

"Then give up your apartment," Hiroki urged. "Come live with me."

Nowaki bit his lip. "I don't want to be a leech on you, Hiro-san. I can't do that."

"You won't be a leech. And besides, you're using up all my soap and taking up all my space in the bed most of the time as it is. So why not?"

"Well, but I'll pay part of the rent..."

"No, you won't! That's the whole reason you're moving in! So that you can afford to keep going to school but not have to do this...barbarian shit work. No offense," he tossed casually over to the other construction workers. They were too frightened of him to say anything back.

"I suppose..."

"You don't suppose anything, you big dummy. You're moving in and that's that, and...oh shit, I called you a dummy, didn't I?" Nowaki nodded slowly. "I swear I'm working on that." He gave a sheepish smile, and Nowaki clasped his hand tightly, feeling happier than he ever had.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm sleeping here tonight and that's that!" Hiroki exclaimed, his brow furrowing.

"I don't expect you to do that," Nowaki said. He had just heard from his doctor that he would need to stay overnight in order for them to monitor his injuries, and of course Hiroki had been the most displeased.

"I want to stay!" Hiroki insisted, then realized the level of his candor and scaled it back quickly. "I mean, if I don't stay to watch out for you, you're such a wimp ass that they won't take care of you, but you'll never say anything against them. So I need to stay, or you won't get treated properly." He folded his arms over his chest and looked indignant.

"Fine, Hiro-san..." Nowaki sighed. It wasn't that he didn't want his lover to stay with him, it was that he didn't want to inconvenience him. "But don't you have class in the morning?"

Hiroki waved his hand airily. "Don't worry about that," he barked. He stormed out into the hall, towards the nurse's station. "I need a rollaway bed in room 609," he snapped at the nurse on duty.

"Those are only for immediate family," the nurse scowled. She looked Hiroki up and down disapprovingly. "You don't look related to him."

Hiroki narrowed his eyes and leaned in to the woman. "No, I'm not blood related to him. There isn't anybody on this earth that can claim that. He was left on a fucking doorstep 19 years ago. I'm the only person in the world who gives a damn about him. So get the damn rollaway bed and quit backtalking me, you cow."

The woman looked startled, but immediately moved to fill Hiroki's request. Hiroki watched with a smug expression as she wheeled the bed into the room and then left with a disgruntled _harumph_. Hiroki smiled as he picked up the neatly folded set of sheets on top of it and began to spread them out. Nowaki watched his pleased lover happily, then drifted off to sleep.

He was awoken a few hours later by the smell of food and by Hiroki shaking him not so gently. "Oi, wake up. Your dinner is here."

Nowaki smiled sleepily. "Mmm...I'm not that hungry."

"Don't give me that bull. Eat, dammit. You won't get better if you don't eat!" Nowaki still hesitated to pick up the fork, so Hiroki snatched it up and began shoveling food into his raven haired lover's mouth.

"Mmph...Hiro-san!" Nowaki protested, his mouth full.

"Quit trying to talk. You'll choke. Just eat!" Hiroki pushed another mouthful of mashed potatoes in. "Is it good?" he asked. Nowaki nodded, afraid to answer otherwise. "Good. Now eat more..." This continued until the entire tray was empty. Nowaki chuckled softly as he laid aside his napkin, and Hiroki raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"Hiro-san fed me in bed for the first time," he said, beaming, and Hiroki fought the overwhelming urge to snatch the pillow from behind Nowaki's head and smother him with it.

"Shut up! That wasn't some goonball lame-o romantic thing! I was just trying to feed you so you'll get stronger! If you stay in the hospital any more, I'll miss more school and it'll be a big inconvenience to me!" he spluttered.

Nowaki's face fell. "Hiro-san...I don't want to be an inconvenience. Really, it's all right if you go home tonight. I'll be okay."

Hiroki groaned. "Ugh, weren't you listening to me before at all? I _have _to stay or you won't get taken care of. The nurses will figure out that you're a passive pushover, and they'll ignore your call light. So stop telling me to go home. I'm older than you and you can't order me around."

Nowaki stifled a smile. "All right, Hiro-san," he said.

"Good." Hiroki clambered up onto the rollaway bed, but not before pushing it almost flush with Nowaki's hospital bed. "Before we go to sleep, do you need anything?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm."

"What?" Hiroki started to sit back up.

"For you to hold my hand while we sleep..."

Hiroki's eyes shot around the immediate vicinity, looking for something blunt to clobber the fool with, but came up empty. "Fine..." he sighed. He grumbled for a minute more before jutting a hand out from under his sheets and clasping on to the larger one Nowaki offered. _It was so warm.._. "I think you have a fever," Hiroki mumbled. "Maybe we ought to call the nurse."

"No, my temperature is always high," Nowaki insisted, his eyelids slowly lowering as he got sleepy once again. "Good night, Hiro-san...I love you."

"Love you too," Hiroki muttered, trying to sound blase though his heart was fluttering.

They were awakened the next morning by the doctor entering with a chart. "Good news," she said, looking down and flipping through the pages. "You can be discharged today, Mr... um..." She trailed off as she looked up and saw Hiroki curled up in Nowaki's hospital bed with him, forcing her patient to the right side of the bed. Nowaki smiled apologetically, squirming a little to try to sit up.

"Sorry, uh, he just..." he feebly tried to explain. In truth, he wasn't sure at what point Hiroki had crawled into bed with him. All he knew was that he was there now, clutching on to him and murmuring in his sleep.

"Mmm...yeah...like that, Nowaki...touch me more..." the brunet man moaned. Nowaki blushed and looked away.

"Well, anyway, I'll just leave your discharge papers with your nurse...have a good day," the doctor said hurriedly, and exited the room quickly.

Hiroki stirred and awoke a few minutes later. "Hah..." he yawned, stretching slightly. He opened his eyes and started suddenly as he beheld Nowaki so closely. "What are you doing in my bed?" he asked.

Nowaki laughed gently. "You're in my bed, Hiro-san," he pointed out.

"Oh, uh, well..." Hiroki stumbled out of the bed and smoothed out his clothing.

Nowaki smiled. "They say I can be discharged today," he informed his lover.

"That's great!" Hiroki exclaimed, then checked himself. "I mean, well, whatever. Good, I can get back to class soon." He looked askance out the window to avoid letting Nowaki see him blushing. He hated to show how head over heels he was for Nowaki - it ate at his stubborn pride somehow.

Later that day, they finally arrived back at Hiroki's apartment. Nowaki was on temporary crutches, as he has been instructed to keep weight off of his injured leg while it healed. They entered the foyer and shed their shoes, then went into the kitchen. "Ah, I'm starving..." Hiroki groaned. "Getting you home from the hospital took forever."

"Sorry, Hiro-san. I'm hungry too," Nowaki admitted. "I'll cook dinner now." He hobbled into the kitchen, where he fumbled for a few moments with the rice cooker while trying to balance himself on one leg, before Hiroki exploded at him.

"Aw, what the hell are you doing? Go lay down!"

"But...dinner..."

"I'll take care of dinner," Hiroki insisted. Nowaki began to protest, but Hiroki cut him off sharply. "Hey! I was a bachelor for a long time before you came around! I can cook!" Nowaki bowed his head slowly, hiding a smile, and made his way into the bedroom, closely followed by Hiroki. His lover helped him into the bed and out of his clothes.

Nowaki smiled as Hiroki's fingertips grazed his abdomen in the undressing process. "Ah, Hiro-san..." he said softly, and then looked down into his own lap at the rapidly growing bulge there.

"Arg, don't do that!" Hiroki groaned. "This is no time to get turned on. You're hurt, we're both hungry, and I'm irritated!"

"Yes, I'm hungry. Hungry for Hiro-san," Nowaki murmured, leaning forward slightly to try to kiss Hiroki.

"Cut out the bullshit!" Hiroki snapped, then backpedaled as he saw the hurt expression on his lover's face. "I mean...not now. Not yet. Later, I promise. Okay?" Nowaki nodded, looking much more cheerful. Hiroki finished undressing him, ignoring the now huge bulge in Nowaki's boxers as he tugged his pants off, and then hurried into the kitchen.

"Okay...dinner. Dinner. This can't be that hard. I guess I could microwave something...but he needs home cooking right now." Hiroki paced as he talked to himself under his breath. "Home cooking...I don't know any home cooking. Well, I can start with rice, I guess." He stomped over to the rice cooker and stared at it for a few minutes. "Make...rice..." he commanded through his gritted teeth, not knowing where to begin.

"Arg, well, fuck rice. I can make something else..." He opened the fridge and began perusing the items inside. "Milk...I could make him cereal. No! That's not home cooking. Um, there's half an eggplant. Maybe I can put it in a pot of water and that will make something. Eggplant soup? No, that's not real! Fuck! Why is this so hard?"

His curses ceased and his eyes lit up as he saw a left over container of cream stew that Nowaki had made two nights previously inside. Hiroki pulled it out and then dumped it into a small saucepan to heat it. He briefly considered microwaving it, but his mind flickered with some hazy memories of news reports that microwaving food removed some of the nutrients. So he turned the burner on low and waited.

Then waited more. He released a string of obscenities when he realized he had the wrong burner on, and had toasted the edge of an oven mitt instead. He moved the pan, and watched as it slowly heated up until it was bubbling. Then he poured it into a soup bowl, making a huge mess in the process and wasting part of it. After more curses were said and the mess was mostly cleaned up, he carried it into the bedroom.

"Ah! What's this?"

"Cream stew..." Hiroki mumbled.

"Cream stew? I didn't know you knew how to make..."

"I don't! I don't, okay? I can't cook anything! This is your own leftovers! You're hurt and you have to eat your own two day old home cooking! So sue me!" Hiroki shouted, getting himself worked up in a tizzy.

"Hiro-san...Hiro-san, it's fine," Nowaki assured him. "I even would have eaten a microwave dinner." Hiroki grumbled something inaudible as Nowaki slowly ate his dinner. "Oh, aren't you going to eat?" he asked.

"Well, my portion ended up all over the counter, so no."

"Oh. Eat mine," Nowaki said.

"No! That's missing the whole point, you blockhead!" He stomped out of the bedroom and fixed himself a microwave dinner before he could get more irritated. After eating it, he returned to the bedroom where he picked up Nowaki's bowl from the side table and smiled at his sleeping figure.

Hiroki winced as he remembered his last words to the man. "I have got to stop doing that...this whole ordeal should have taught me something..." he grumbled to himself, then kneeled beside his younger lover. He figured apologizing to his sleeping body would be easier on his pride than when he was awake. "I'm sorry I called you a blockhead," he whispered, kissing Nowaki's temple gently.

"It's okay, Hiro-san," Nowaki said, snatching him up in his arms and pulling him into bed.

"Ah-hhh! You were faking it!" Hiroki shouted.

"Just a little," Nowaki admitted. His hands roamed over Hiroki's body, and Hiroki cried out.

"What are you doing?" he shouted as Nowaki palmed his crotch.

"It's later..." Nowaki reminded him.

"Arg..." Hiroki grumbled, though he had to admit that he liked the feeling of Nowaki's hands right at that moment. He stopped protesting and gave in.

They lay on their sides next to each other and began to kiss, slowly at first, but then at a faster pace with a deep intensity. Nowaki's tongue insistently probed Hiroki's softly moaning mouth over and over again, as his hand slid up under the man's shirt and began to tweak one raised pink nipple.

Nowaki tried to roll on top of Hiroki, but winced as he pressed his injured leg into the bed. "Stop," Hiroki panted. "Just lay back," he urged him, then unbuttoned his shirt slowly as he watched Nowaki spread himself out on his back. Those large hands went to the waistband of his boxers and rolled them down, exposing his thick, throbbing length of manhood. Hiroki's mouth watered subconsciously as he watched, then he pushed his own boxers and pants down on his thighs and kicked them off.

Hiroki crawled back on the bed, his button up shirt still on but open, and lowered his face suddenly. He took more than half of Nowaki's length in his mouth, wetting it down as Nowaki cried out in delight. Then he rose up slowly and straddled Nowaki's hips. He spread his thighs as wide as he could, rubbing his ass against the head of Nowaki's cock. Nowaki threw his head back and moaned in pleasure at the contact, the slippery moisture seeping from the tip wetting Hiroki's tight hole as he did so.

Hiroki bit his lip and then began to lower himself carefully, becoming impaled on that massive organ. Nowaki held onto his hips tightly, groaning with joy as Hiroki took more and more of him inside. When Hiroki was almost all the way down, he reached down and began to pump his own erection, his inner walls spasming suddenly at the pleasurable sensation. Nowaki gave a muffled cry and thrust his hips upwards as he tried to get more.

Hiroki cried out as Nowaki's cock became completely buried inside, and he panted for a few moments to recompose himself before resuming stroking his manhood. Nowaki just groaned and writhed on the bed in pleasure as Hiroki stayed still, with Nowaki's length all the way inside, simply tensing and releasing his inner muscles as he pleasured himself.

Then he began to move, letting a few inches of Nowaki out before engulfing it again. He made the most arousing moans of pleasurable anguish as he worked himself up and down, never ceasing stroking himself, and it took everything Nowaki had to not let go.

They pushed against each other, the sweat breaking out and beading upon their skin as passionate heat consumed them. After a few minutes, Hiroki began to pant raggedly. "Mmmph...oh god, oh god, Nowaki. This is...ohhhh! Nowaki!" Hiroki screamed out, then he gushed onto Nowaki's abdomen. Nowaki gave a low cry, and then let go, drilling up into Hiroki incessantly for a few seconds before releasing deep inside of him.

They stayed together for a few moments, then pulled apart. Hiroki collapsed face down on the bed beside Nowaki, breathing heavily. Nowaki rolled on his side and reached over, tousling a few pieces of Hiroki's messy brown hair. "I love you, Hiro-san," he whispered.

"I love you too, Nowaki..." Hiroki whispered back. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.


	5. Chapter 5

Two months passed. Nowaki's injuries healed completely, and the men fell into a comfortable rhythm of life. One evening in early December, Nowaki spoke up while washing dishes. "Hiro-san...Christmas Eve is coming up. What do you want?"

Hiroki's brow furrowed as he typed industriously on his laptop. "Huh? Nothing. Christmas Eve is for kids and lovers."

"Yes, but aren't we lovers?" Nowaki pointed out.

"Drop it!" Hiroki barked, slapping a hand down on the keyboard. "Will you just let me work and stop being so stupid?"

"I'm sorry, Hiro-san," Nowaki said quietly, turning back around and picking up the dishrag. Hiroki groaned at the man's utterly dejected expression.

"Arg, don't make that face. I can't stand it. If you just have to get me a present, then get me some socks or something," he said, waving his hand dismissively. Nowaki nodded, and the evening passed without further incident.

In bed, Nowaki spooned Hiroki. "Do you know what I want for Christmas Eve?" he asked, his breath tickling the back of Hiroki's neck as he spoke.

"No, what?" Hiroki grumbled.

"You."

"That's stupid," Hiroki spat back.

"No, it's not stupid! I want you...I want you to give yourself up to me completely."

"We did that already...don't you remember on your birthday...?"

Nowaki shook his head, and nuzzled his face in Hiroki's hair. "No, not just physically. I want you to let me love you fully and not struggle and argue the whole time. If you would just let your guard down...for a little while...I'd be so happy. There's a million mushy things I want to say to you, and I want to be able to say them without you telling me I'm stupid."

"Not going to happen..." Hiroki growled, his body tensing up slightly.

Nowaki sighed. "Well, I thought it was worth a shot. Don't worry, it's not a big deal." He kissed the back of Hiroki's head. "Good night, Hiro-san."

"Good night, Nowaki," Hiroki mumbled, feeling strangely discontent all of the sudden. It wasn't that he liked crushing Nowaki's hopes and desires. It was like he had once told him; he had never been loved in such a way, and so he didn't know how to properly react to it. His mind made him shout out defensive things before he could stop himself. He knew that deep down he loved every crappy, sappy thing Nowaki did and said to him...there was just no way he could admit it.

Winter crept closer, and the temperatures dropped steadily. Hiroki got the heavy quilt out of storage and added it to the bedding. One of his favorite things was staying in bed with Nowaki on particularly cold mornings, though he couldn't admit it to the man. He trapped his younger lover in bed with him by gripping his shirt tightly or tangling their legs together, all while pretending to be asleep. But in truth, he was wide awake and grasping desperately onto every second that they could spend in that heavenly, warm paradise.

The 24th rapidly approached, and Hiroki became more nervous with each passing day. He knew what Nowaki really wanted, but he couldn't see himself giving that. Not yet. Maybe next year...or the next...or maybe in 20 years or so. So, he agonized over what to get the man instead. He paced through the mall one afternoon after class, discarding one idea after another.

His eyes caught a glimpse of a sweater hanging in a window, and he went inside to examine it. The lone one left of its kind, the black boucle turtleneck waited silently. Running his fingers over the soft hem, he realized how very..._Nowaki _it was. Big, dark, so soft; so wonderful to touch. He checked the tag, and when he saw it was Nowaki's size, he knew it must be a sign. He purchased it without further hesitation, paying the extra fee to get it wrapped and have a big red ribbon tied on the box.

Then there was the problem of where to hide it. He briefly considered asking his friend Akihiko to shelter the package until Christmas Eve, but he quickly nixed the idea. He didn't want to have to explain to Akihiko of all people why he was doing something as sappy as buying a Christmas gift for another man. He knew he'd never hear the end of it.

So he took it home, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he had beat Nowaki there. He headed for the bedroom and dropped to his knees beside the bed, sliding the package underneath. His eyebrows rose when he met slight resistance there, so he peeked underneath. He screamed and hissed when he saw the multitude of shiny wrapped boxes below. "All...all for me?" he muttered in bewilderment. "How many socks did he get me?! The big idiot!!"

Hiroki grumbled to himself as he decided under the bed was out as a hiding place, so he hid it in the hall closet, on the upper shelf underneath another extra blanket. When Nowaki came home that evening, Hiroki's mouth twitched as he suppressed the urge to chew him out for wasting money on something as stupid as Christmas gifts. But he knew if he did, he would give away the fact that he had seen the presents. So he said nothing.

Nowaki had erected a small Christmas tree in their living room, despite Hiroki's protests that it was a waste. "It's just us that would see it," Hiroki pointed out.

"Exactly," Nowaki said gently, his mouth curved in a benign smile. Hiroki huffed and grumbled, but nothing would steer Nowaki away from having that blasted tree. "I've never had my own Christmas tree before," Nowaki said softly, and Hiroki's shoulders slumped in defeat. He always would forget that poor Nowaki had such a lacking childhood, missing all the things that most people took for granted. So Hiroki tucked away his pride for an hour or so as he helped him decorate the sorry little thing. Nowaki even put on cheesy Christmas music and bought eggnog for them to drink.

Finally, Christmas Eve came. Hiroki and Nowaki had argued over who would make the dinner (well, Hiroki argued while Nowaki mildly tried to assert himself), but Hiroki eventually won. He had studied some cookbooks in the past months, and had even practiced a bit. He baked a whole chicken, and even made mashed potatoes from scratch. He had prepared a Christmas cake earlier in the day, as there were no classes on Christmas Eve. Nowaki had spent most of the day at one of his part time jobs, the one at the flower shop. Apparently it was a very busy time for the florist's trade, so Nowaki arrived home later than he expected.

"I'm home, Hiro-san," he called out, a little breathless, as he entered the apartment and slipped off his snow covered shoes.

"Welcome home," Hiroki muttered. "Well, I'm glad I ended up making the dinner, because you're so late we would have been eating on Christmas Day!"

"I'm very sorry," Nowaki apologized sincerely. He approached Hiroki and laid a hand on his shoulder as he kissed his cheek. "It smells wonderful in here."

"Thanks," Hiroki mumbled, trying to fight a blush. "Well, it's all ready...let's eat." The two men sat down at the table and began eating the simple dinner Hiroki had prepared.

"That was delicious," Nowaki sighed happily. "It was the best Christmas Eve dinner I've ever had." He laighed softly. "Well, it was the only one, so...but it really was very good!" Hiroki mumbled something under his breath as he cut the cake. "Ah! Hiro-san! You even made us a cake," Nowaki said, sounding impressed. "Thank you," he murmured.

"You're welcome," Hiroki replied quietly.

After they ate the cake, it was time to open presents. Hiroki excused himself to retrieve the box from the hall closet, and he smirked as he watched Nowaki trot off to the bedroom. "Hah. I wonder how he'll carry all those at once? That'll be a sight to see..." Hiroki carried Nowaki's present into the living room, then sat cross legged on the floor and waited for Nowaki to come back in the room, staggering under the weight of a dozen gifts.

But much to his surprise, Nowaki padded back in holding just one small box. "Eh? But...where are..." Hiroki trailed off.

"Where are what?"

"All those boxes...under the bed."

Nowaki yelped and blushed. "Y-you saw that, Hiro-san?"

"Yeah...it wasn't like I was snooping or anything...I was trying to hide your present and just accidentally saw."

Nowaki hung his head a little. "I was trying to keep it a secret," he said quietly.

"Well, what did you get me all those presents for? You're crazy, you know that? I don't need all that stuff, and anyway - "

"They weren't for you." Nowaki's voice cut in suddenly.

"Eh?" Hiroki was puzzled, then started to become angry as he jumped to the wrong conclusion. "What, they were for some other guy?"

"No, of course not, Hiro-san! You're the only...the only 'guy' in my life. They were for...the kids at the orphanage. I took the boxes there yesterday while you were at school. I didn't want to make a big deal about it, because I knew you'd say I was stupid and wasting my money buying presents for all those children. But, I remember having Christmas with no presents, and so I - "

"Stop. I wouldn't call you stupid for such a thing," Hiroki interrupted him. Nowaki looked up in surprise, and Hiroki continued. "That's...it's really wonderful of you." Hiroki cursed and thrashed in his own head. _Dammit, dammit, dammit! This guy is a fucking saint...and I...and I love him more than anything in the world...oh god, what do I do with myself?_

"Thank you, Hiro-san," Nowaki said, smiling softly. "Well, it isn't much, but here is what I got you." He handed the package to Hiroki, and the older man could tell what it was just by squeezing it.

"Socks, huh?" He smiled wryly, peeling back the paper to confirm his guess. "Thank you, it's just what I wanted," he said truthfully.

"I know it isn't much, but I couldn't think of anything else, and I didn't want to guess and make you mad," Nowaki explained.

"I told you, it's fine," Hiroki insisted. "Here...I got you this," he mumbled, pushing the sweater box at his lover.

"Thank you," Nowaki said softly as he pulled the ribbon loose and tore the paper off. Hiroki held his breath as Nowaki shook the lid loose, awaiting his reaction. "Oh, Hiro-san..." Nowaki breathed. "I...I love it. It's so gorgeous." He lifted out the sweater and held it to his body. "It's perfect. Thank you." He laid the sweater back in the box and crawled across the floor to Hiroki, kissing him gently.

Hiroki blushed desperately as the kiss made his whole body heat up. "Er...I got you something else too," he said spontaneously.

"Hmmm? What?" Nowaki asked.

"Close your eyes and sit back," Hiroki said, his heart feeling like it was going to pound out of his chest.

"Okay." Nowaki acquiesced and waited patiently. There were a few soft rustling sounds, then Hiroki spoke once more.

"You can open them now." Nowaki's cloudy blue eyes fluttered open, and he gasped when he saw the red ribbon Hiroki had tied around his waist.

"Hiro-san...what...?"

"It's me, okay? I'm giving you _me_, dammit! A-and...it starts right now." Hiroki looked down at his hands with a fierce blush. "You can say and do whatever you want to me...I'm ready."

"Oh, Hiro-san..." Nowaki breathed, then crawled back over to his lover. In one smooth movement, he had swept Hiroki up in his arms and was lifting him. Hiroki bit his lip to keep from protesting as he was carried into the bedroom. Nowaki laid him gently on the bed, then just hovered over him, caressing the side of Hiroki's face again and again as he stared into his eyes. "You...are the most beautiful thing in the world, Hiro-san. I love you so much that it hurts me. I can't get enough of you. I want to touch you, I want to see you, I want to kiss you, I want to be inside of you...I want to love you. Every second of every day, I want to do all those things."

Hiroki grated his tongue against his teeth to keep from arguing with the irrational statements, and instead forced himself to give in to the moment. He shuddered and closed his eyes as Nowaki began playing with his hair.

"You have the most gorgeous hair, Hiro-san. I love the way it shines. I love the color, it's just like chocolate. I love seeing it wet when you get out of the shower, but I love the wet look it gets from making love even more." Nowaki's eyes twinkled, and Hiroki screamed inside his head over and over as he felt too embarrassed for words.

Nowaki's hands were now on each side of Hiroki's face. "Your eyes...they are the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. From the first time I saw you, how devastatingly gorgeous they looked as you cried...to the times when you glare at me...to the times they are half closed as you gaze up at me when we make love...they still are the same beautiful warm shade of brown." Nowaki sighed softly, while Hiroki gritted his teeth together, then forced his jaw to relax.

"Then your lips...so full, so soft, so pink...I want to kiss, lick and bite them again and again. And I want you to kiss me too...not just a peck, but a real, deep kiss, that comes from your heart. Not one that I initiate...one that you start."

Hiroki gave a soft murmur, thought _what the fuck_, and then sat up, kissing Nowaki abruptly. _If I'm going to do this, I better do it right_, he chided himself, then slipped his tongue inside Nowaki's mouth. Nowaki gave a soft, pleased murmur and kissed Hiroki back. Their hands slid over each other's backs, tugging shirts up and baring skin.

Soon, they were divested of their tops, and Hiroki worked Nowaki's pants. Even though the man's loving words had driven him crazy with their sappiness, he had found he was driven crazy in more than one way - his body was on fire and aching for release. "Nowaki...I want you..." Hiroki panted. "I want you...to make love to me..." he whispered, feeling his cheeks aflame at his own mushiness.

"Oh, Hiro-san," Nowaki sighed, removing his unfastened pants. Hiroki was already undoing his own, and slipped out of them quickly. Nowaki lay on top of him, the heat from his bare body searing Hiroki's cool skin.

"N-Nowaki..." Hiroki stammered, his manhood swelling and pressing into Nowaki's abdomen.

"Hiro-san..." Nowaki whispered, kissing the man's neck and shoulders. "I love you more than anything in the world...you're everything to me."

"Nowaki!" Hiroki cried out as he bent his knees, moving his hips into the proper position for penetration by his younger lover. Nowaki's cock was heavily seeping pre-come, and he angled it down to Hiroki's twitching entrance.

"Hiro-san...I love you so much," he breathed, then pushed the head inside. Hiroki moaned loudly at the intrusion, but it felt way too good to be bothered by a little pain. He wrapped his arms around Nowaki's neck and snaked his legs around Nowaki's waist, then writhed against him. "Hiro-san...you're so hot inside..." Nowaki groaned, thrusting incessantly inside.

"Ohhhh!" Hiroki screamed as Nowaki struck his pleasure point from the inside. Nowaki's tongue was in his ear as he reached between their bodies and began fondling Hiroki's swollen organ. "No...wa...ki..." Hiroki moaned, then shuddered and lost the fight, spraying his essence over both of their chests.

Nowaki sighed in satisfaction, then bucked three times more and groaned loudly as his hips stilled and he pulsed out heavily into Hiroki's recesses. "Hiro-san..." he whispered, sinking down onto his older lover. Hiroki bore the weight willingly, loving the feeling of Nowaki's body on his own.

They laid like that for an untold amount of time, then Nowaki pulled off with reluctance and cleaned them both up. He lay down next to Hiroki and stroked the line of his body gently as he whispered more words of love to him. By that point, Hiroki was too far gone to protest in the least, and he murmured happily as he listened in rapture to each precious word. Even though Nowaki believed Hiroki had given him the ultimate Christmas present, Hiroki knew the truth.

Nowaki was giving him the best present of all.


	6. Chapter 6

In mid January, Hiroki came home to find Nowaki frozen by the phone. "Oy, what's wrong with you?" he asked as he unwound his scarf.

Nowaki took a few moments to speak. "That was the orphanage...they say they have a letter for me. Apparently, it's from my...mother."

"From your mother?" Hiroki rushed forward. "Well, that's great! You've got parents after all!"

"Yeah..." Nowaki said, stepping awkwardly over to the couch and sitting down.

"You don't seem happy about it. What's wrong?" Hiroki asked.

Nowaki smiled painfully, hesitating to speak. "It's...really stupid." He shook his head and stared out the window.

"Just tell me."

Nowaki sighed. "Well...I guess...all these years, since I didn't know who they were, I was able to imagine my parents. And I'm afraid...the real ones won't live up to the imaginary ones."

Hiroki scratched his head. "I guess I can understand that. Ha, when I was a teenager, I used to fantasize that my dad wasn't really my dad, because he's such an impossible loser." He laughed. "Unfortunately, the truth can't be denied. I know he's my dad." _I'm becoming more and more like the jerk bastard every day! _Hiroki thought. "But anyway, maybe...maybe your mom is even better than what you imagined."

Nowaki picked at the edge of the sofa. "Yeah, maybe."

"What did you imagine?"

"Hmmm? Well, it's kind of stupid." Hiroki waited patiently, which was extremely difficult for him, but eventually Nowaki admitted the truth. "My mom is Princess Leia from Star Wars, and my dad is...Ultraman."

Hiroki bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Oh," was all he was able to say. "Well, even if she's not Princess Leia," he said after fully stifling his laughter, "I'm sure she's still really wonderful."

"Yeah, I know that's probably the case..." Nowaki trailed off. "Hiro-san, would you come with me to read the letter?"

"Huh? Y-yeah, I guess I could do that."

So the next day, they were riding the train to the orphanage Nowaki grew up in. Hiroki had to admit that he was a little shocked by how rundown it was. He had somehow expected something a little more...something. He couldn't even put it in to words. But seeing the sad state of affairs that Nowaki lived his life in made him ache to just hold the man.

They were shown into a side office, where Nowaki was presented with the letter. He fumbled with it with shaking hands for a while, then sighed. "Hiro-san...could you read it first? Just to make sure it doesn't say anything awful?" he asked.

"Sure..." Hiroki said, taking the letter. He opened it and scanned it perfunctorily. He couldn't help a small gasp escaping his lips when he read about halfway down the page.

"What is it?" Nowaki asked nervously.

Hiroki laughed softly. "No, it's not bad," he assured Nowaki. "It just explains a lot of things." He smiled up at his younger lover. "Your father was American."

"What?" Nowaki looked totally stunned.

"Well, come on. Not many pure blooded Japanese guys are six foot fucking three. I was a little suspicious of that. Do you want to see it?" he asked, offering the letter. "It's fine."

Nowaki nodded slowly, and began to read.

_To whom it may concern,_

_I was the one that abandoned the infant on your steps on July 17th, 1985. I'm very sorry to be so irresponsible, but I knew I couldn't take care of him. I was only 16 years old. His father was an American exchange student that attended my high school. I got pregnant, but he never knew, since the school year ended and he went back to America. I hid the pregnancy from everyone, and delivered my baby alone. I left him on your doorstep, because I knew he'd have a better life than I could give him. But I still wonder what my baby boy is like. I'm sure he doesn't want to see me, but if he ever does, he can contact me at..._

Nowaki looked at Hiroki. "I want to meet her," he said softly.

"I figured you would," Hiroki nodded. "Come on, let's call her." Nowaki nodded, and Hiroki pulled out his cell phone. "Do you want to do it or..."

"Can you please do it?" Nowaki pleaded.

"Of course," Hiroki said quietly, and dialed the number scrawled on the paper. It rang for a few seconds before being picked up.

"Hello?" a breathless female voice on the other end answered.

"Ah, hello, is this Yuuko?" Hiroki asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Well, I'm sitting here with your...son." The woman on the other end dissolved into tears, and Nowaki took the phone from Hiroki.

"Hello?" he asked with a shaking voice.

"Oh...I'm so sorry," the woman sobbed. "I'm just so sorry..."

"It's okay." Nowaki's soft voice cut through her misery. "I'm...happy..." he said quietly.

The next day, Hiroki and Nowaki waited in a cafe to meet this woman. "What if she doesn't come?" Nowaki agonized.

"She'll come," Hiroki assured him.

Nowaki smiled. "Thank you for coming with me, Hiro-san," he said gratefully.

"No problem," Hiroki mumbled. "After all, I'm your boyfriend...or whatever..." _ Arg, I didn't mean that to come out so weird!_ he chided himself. But Nowaki just smiled and held his hand under the shelter of the table.

An attractive, petite woman walked in, and Hiroki almost immediately dismissed her as being too young. But she turned, and was wearing the red sweater Nowaki's mother had promised she would wear. Hiroki remembered that Nowaki's mother would be only 35 years old, and that was about how old this woman looked. Nowaki sat up straighter, and the woman approached and spoke softly. "Are you...are you Nowaki?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Yes..." Nowaki whispered. They just stared at each other for a moment before Nowaki leaped up and engulfed his mother in a crushing hug.

"Ah, you're just as big as your father," the woman laughed, through her joyful tears. She sat down, and the two of them talked rapidly for several minutes. She showed him photographs of his father from her yearbook. He was a big, goofy looking, smiling boy named Jason Anderson. Hiroki smiled at the resemblance between the two, laughing softly, and Yuuko's attention was drawn to him.

"This is my boyfriend, Hiro-san," Nowaki explained. "I hope...you don't have a problem with that..." he added.

"Oh." Yuuko blinked for a moment, then smiled. "I'm in no position to judge," she said softly. "I'm just happy if you're happy." Nowaki smiled as well.

The two of them talked for hours, and Hiroki watched and waited patiently, occasionally joining in the dialogue when invited. Yuuko eventually excused herself. "I must be going...but I hope we can see each other again."

"Yes, of course," Nowaki responded pleasantly.

"And...I'm going to try to contact your father. He deserves to know that he has a son," Yuuko said.

Nowaki just nodded, then they hugged one more time before he watched her go. Nowaki sank back down into the booth and sighed. "Wow."

"Well, was she as good as Princess Leia?" Hiroki joked.

"Yeah. Way better." Nowaki gave a faraway smile, then the two of them returned home together.

Nowaki began cooking dinner, and Hiroki felt strangely compelled to pick up the phone. He dialed a number ingrained into his brain long ago, and waited as it rang. A female voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, mom," Hiroki said.

"Ah! Hiroki! How are you? I haven't heard from you in so long!" Hiroki's mother said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"How are your studies going?"

"Good. Graduate school's going great. I think I want to be a professor of literature."

"That's wonderful!"

"...how's dad?"

"Same as ever," Hiroki's mother laughed lightly.

"So, bad, then," Hiroki grumbled.

"Well, you know..." she trailed off, and a deep male voice could be heard in the background.

"What's all this mess on the floor? I could have tripped on this and broken my neck!" it complained.

"There he is," Hiroki's mother sighed.

"He sounds like the same asshole as always," Hiroki groaned.

"Who are you on the phone with?" the irritable voice of Hiroki's father shouted.

"It's Hiroki."

"Hiroki? You tell that sorry son of yours he needs to get a job!"

"He's in graduate school now...he's going to become a professor," his mother patiently explained.

"Professor? Ha! I'll believe that when I see it! Now where's my dinner?"

Hiroki's eyebrow twitched. "Anyway, mom, I called to tell you something else."

"Yes? What is it?"

"I'm living with someone."

"Ah, is it Akihiko? I always thought you two would end up together."

Hiroki groaned. His mother had always liked Akihiko better than him, it seemed. "No, mom! But...it is a guy."

"Well, that's not a surprise. You're gay, after all."

Hiroki groaned again. He had never said it to his mother in actual words, but she had figured it out anyway. He sat back up as he heard his father shouting. "Gay?! Who's gay?"

"Hiroki, dear."

"What the hell?!? You tell that faggot if he spent less time sucking dicks and more time studying, he'd already have a job! And furthermore..."

"Put me on speakerphone!" Hiroki barked. His mother sighed and pressed the button. "Now you listen to me, you fat old bastard! If you'd even bothered to notice, instead of being drunk all the time, you'd know that I graduated at the top of my class! I couldn't possibly study any harder! And I don't know what you're complaining about; you never had to pay a penny of my tuition or living expenses! I earned all my scholarships and Grandpa's inheritance paid for the rest. So I can suck all the dick I want! You can kiss my ass!"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you, you faggot?!"

"I wouldn't let you even _look _at my ass!" Hiroki snarled back.

"Then don't offer it, queer bag! It's probably all chewed up anyway!"

"I hate you!" Hiroki screamed.

"I hate you more!" Hiroki's father shouted back.

"Boys, boys..." Hiroki's mother sighed, clucking her tongue. Both men paused and regained their composure, panting heavily.

"Old Tama had kittens," Hiroki's father finally grunted.

"What? I thought he was a boy."

"Yeah, so did we. Well, anyway...I gotta watch the game. ... ... Love you."

"Love you too, dad," Hiroki grumbled, then his mother took speakerphone off.

"You two are the same as ever," she laughed. "Oh, what am I going to do with my boys?"

"I don't care what you do with _him_. Drown him in the river," Hiroki scoffed.

"Same as ever..." she repeated. "Well, I have to get back to cooking dinner. The fish is going to burn. Love you, dear."

"Love you too, mom," Hiroki mumbled. He hung up the phone, and turned to face a bewildered Nowaki. "Don't look at me like that," Hiroki hissed.

"...what was that?" Nowaki asked, wide eyed.

"Talking to my parents...you know...it's kind of fucked up." He waved a finger at Nowaki. "Be glad you didn't have to grow up with yours! That's all it is! Faggot this and sorry son that! My father is SUCH an asshole!"

"I'm sorry, Hiro-san," Nowaki said.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't act like it's that bad. That's just the way my dad is. He just likes to yell."

"Like someone I know..." Nowaki said, his lips curling into a smile.

"What was that?! Listen, you big dummy, I'll...argh..." Hiroki trailed off as he realized he was once again being just like his father.

"You'll what?" Nowaki teased.

"I'll...I don't know." Hiroki's shoulders slumped forward and he looked at the floor.

"Well...you know...you might as well do like you said."

"Huh?"

There was soft sound as Nowaki unzipped his pants. "Suck all the dick you want."

Hiroki blushed, but stumbled forward and fell to his knees. He wasn't used to Nowaki being so forward, and he had to admit it turned him on...just a little. He wrapped a hand around Nowaki's thick member, looked up at his aroused face, and then began sucking at the tip. Nowaki groaned in pleasure, tangling his fingers in Hiroki's hair.

Hiroki hummed and worked faster, then gasped as he was suddenly being lifted and turned. He was placed on the counter, where Nowaki tugged his pants off and rubbed the slippery pre come from Hiroki's manhood onto his fingers, then used them to probe Hiroki's hot entrance. Hiroki moaned and shifted his hips closer to the edge of the counter, just as Nowaki withdrew his fingers and moved in close, pressing the head of his cock into Hiroki's relaxed hole. He was just the perfect height, and his erection slipped in easily.

"Oh god! Nowaki!" Hiroki screamed, clasping his arms around his younger lover's neck. They writhed and bumped against each other, Nowaki breathing noisily through his nose as he thrust. He reached down and began stroking Hiroki's neglected erection, drawing cries of pleasure from Hiroki's throat. "Ohhhh...ohhhh, Nowaki...I'm gonna...oh, fuck..." Hiroki moaned helplessly, and then sprayed erratically onto Nowaki's chest. Nowaki sighed happily and then called out Hiroki's name deeply as he came as well.

Hiroki panted unevenly, and glanced at the stove just inches away from his left thigh. "Fish is going to burn." Nowaki laughed softly, kissing the top of Hiroki's head.


	7. Chapter 7

"So...painful..." Hiroki clutched his forehead, slumping back in the hard metal train seat. He had been rude and irritable at school, well, more so than usual, as he felt a migraine coming on. Now it was in full swing, and he was almost nauseated with the pain of it. The train ride was excruciating - he seemed to be able to hear every wheel as it turned, and the movement of the vehicle was nearly unbearable. He finally arrived home and stumbled blindly into the apartment.

"Hiro-san! What's wrong?" Nowaki asked, his words coming out in a tumble of worry.

"Shut up. I have a migraine," Hiroki moaned, pushing his way past Nowaki unceremoniously.

"Oh...Hiro-san...here, lay down right here." Nowaki practically forced Hiroki to lay on the couch, while Hiroki mumbled protests. Nowaki hurried around the room, shutting off lights and drawing the curtains closed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hiroki mumbled.

"Light will make your migraine worse," Nowaki explained in a whisper.

"And why the hell are you whispering?" Hiroki shouted, then winced.

"Sound can also aggravate the symptoms," Nowaki told him quietly.

"Listen to you. You sound like a freaking doctor..." Hiroki chuckled, then closed his eyes. There was near silence as Nowaki padded about for a bit, then Hiroki yelped and jumped about a foot in the air as an ice cold washcloth was laid over his face. "What the hell?!" he shouted.

"Please, Hiro-san, just let me take care of you," Nowaki pleaded with him.

"Fine, whatever," Hiroki grumbled, but he couldn't help feeling acutely grateful to the lumbering idiot. The coolness of the cloth seemed to dull the pain somewhat, and he soon drifted off into sleep.

When he came to, he removed the now warm cloth and blinked as he looked around the room. Nowaki was sitting on a chair, silently watching him, and he rose to his feet quickly. "Are you all right, Hiro-san? What can I get you?"

"You...moron..." Hiroki mumbled. "Are you just sitting there watching me?" Nowaki just dipped his head in assent. "I can't believe it," Hiroki mumbled, trying to sound disgruntled, though he felt somehow thrilled inside that someone was willing to do that for him.

"Does your head still hurt?"

"No...wait, yeah," Hiroki corrected himself, as he tried to sit up quickly and a jolt of pain shot through his forehead.

"Can I get you anything?" Nowaki asked.

"Yeah...something to eat...but, urghh..." Hiroki trailed off. "I feel really hungry, but I feel nauseated at the same time."

"Don't worry, Hiro-san. Leave it to me." Nowaki jumped up and went into the kitchen, leaving Hiroki to lean back on the couch. Nowaki returned a few moments later, holding a bowl.

"...what's this?"

"Butterscotch pudding."

Hiroki accepted it without a word. How...how had the man known this was his favorite food? He had never said it. It wasn't like he ate it all the time. He couldn't keep it around the house or he would eat it constantly, and would probably end up as fat as his father. He had eaten it in front of Nowaki maybe three or four times at the most. His eyebrow twitched as he wondered how...but the pain of his head forced him to cease thoughts. He ate it in silence. "Oy...I don't get it."

"Don't get what, Hiro-san?"

"You."

Nowaki looked puzzled. "What about me?"

"H-how did you know I like butterscotch pudding? And where the hell did you even get this?"

Nowaki smiled calmly. "I went to the store as soon as you fell asleep. And...as for the other, I don't know. I just had an idea."

"Sure you did..." Hiroki mumbled, feeling thoroughly disgruntled for no reason whatsoever. He finished the bowl and let the spoon fall with a clatter. "...Thank you," he mumbled.

"You're welcome," Nowaki replied earnestly. He took the bowl from Hiroki's hands and went into the kitchen to wash it up. When he returned to the living room, Hiroki had fallen back asleep, curled into a fetal position on the couch. Nowaki smiled and clucked his tongue. _He'll get a neckache sleeping like that_, he thought to himself, so he carefully picked him up in his strong arms and toted him into the bedroom.

When Hiroki awoke, he was confused for a moment by the change of scenery. _The living room looks weird...and the couch feels better than usual, _he said to himself. His eyes adjusted to the near darkness and he was able to make out that he was in the bedroom. _How did I get here?_ he wondered. He took in the large, dark form of Nowaki sleeping less than a foot away and realized. _ He carried me in here..._ he thought to himself, then sighed. He looked down at his own body and saw that he was in pajamas. _ He even changed my clothes. _

_How goofy. _

_How annoying._

_How...wonderful._

Hiroki let out a long exhale and reached forward, grasping onto the soft, soft black jersey of Nowaki's sleep shirt. _How did I ever get so lucky? I'm just an irritable mess of a man, yet I attracted this amazing, caring, kind saint. It's just too much._

Nowaki awoke and turned to face Hiroki without a word. Hiroki didn't protest as he was kissed deeply, instead moaning a little into his lover's mouth. Nowaki slid a large, hot hand underneath Hiroki's bent knee, and Hiroki gave a ragged sigh at the sensation of Nowaki sliding up the fabric of his pajama pants to touch his bare skin underneath. Hiroki could feel goosebumps erupting all over his body, and he murmured in pleasure.

"Hiro-san." Those simple three syllables that he heard so often. No one else called him that. It was Nowaki's own precious name for his lover. The nickname itself was a contradiction in terms. The shortening of his given name indicated intimacy, while the honorific at the end denoted Nowaki's deep respect for the older man. So even though they were intimate, deeply intimate, Nowaki still looked up to him and saw him as someone to honor.

"Hiro-san." Nowaki whispered it again in his ear. Hiroki shut his eyes tightly at the pleasurable sensation of Nowaki's breath on his neck. Nowaki's hand on his shoulder rolled him to face away, and then Nowaki set to work in an attempt to cover every square inch of the nape of Hiroki's neck with kisses. One by one, the kisses fluttered down and made contact with Hiroki's cool skin. One of Nowaki's arms went behind Hiroki's neck and held him by the forehead, tangling fingers lazily in his messy brown tresses. The other hand slid up over Hiroki's smooth abdomen, up under his shirt and past his throat, coming to rest on his jaw and chin, the long fingers splayed around his mouth.

Hiroki moaned softly, unable to fight the urge to flick out his tongue and lap at one of the fingers. Nowaki murmured in appreciation, and moved that finger closer to Hiroki's mouth, inserting the tip inside. Hiroki eagerly sucked at it, tracing his tongue around and around the digit, and grazing it with his teeth. Nowaki groaned in pleasure, pressing his hips up against Hiroki's round, firm bottom. He was achingly hard, and he began to grind it into Hiroki's body.

Hiroki sighed with desire, reaching behind himself to fondle Nowaki's huge bulge. "Hiro-san..." Nowaki whined out, his voice suddenly harsh and needy. His hands abandoned their stations above Hiroki's neck to quickly travel down and tug off Hiroki's pajama bottoms and underwear. Then, he freed himself from the tight confines of his own bottoms and rubbed the slippery head of his cock against Hiroki's entrance.

Hiroki gripped at the sheets with one hand, pushing his hips back at Nowaki. Nowaki groaned deeply with pleasure at the stimulation he was getting just from the simple rubbing, but he paused to reach back and retrieve the lube from the bedside table. When he turned back to his lover, the man was already up on his knees and forearms, looking back at Nowaki with lust filled - no, those were love filled eyes.

Nowaki swallowed hard as he popped the cap open and wet himself down. Then he moved up close, nudging the head of his organ once again up against Hiroki's hole. Hiroki whined with need and pleasure, then gasped loudly as Nowaki insistently shoved the head inside.

"Did I hurt you, Hiro-san?" Nowaki asked worriedly, fearing that he had been too hasty.

"Mmm...no, I'm fine," Hiroki murmured, choosing to ignore the hot, painful sting and to concentrate on the pleasure that was sure to soon come. And surely enough, the pain quickly faded as Nowaki thrust steadily in and out of him, awakening all sorts of sensations in his body. Nowaki grunted and groaned softly, the sound of which was unbearably arousing to Hiroki. He moaned in ecstasy, reaching down and stroking his own erection over and over again.

"Do you...like it?" Nowaki panted, pushing himself deep inside.

"Yes...oh yes..." Hiroki assured him, his voice muffled by the pillow. He breathed heavily through his mouth, the heat of his breath warming up the pillow and making his face feel even more scorching than just his blush had made it feel. "Mmph...Nowaki...I...I'm..." His wrist moved frantically.

"Oh, yes, Hiro-san," Nowaki moaned in pleasure. "Please...please come..."

"Ahhh!!!" Hiroki screamed triumphantly as he exploded across the sheets below. Nowaki groaned in rapture, driving himself as far as he could go before spilling out inside of Hiroki. He pulled out slowly, his whole body trembling and quivering in pleasurable aftershock. Hiroki collapsed onto the bed, not even caring what a mess he must be making.

Nowaki rolled off to the side, then wrapped his large, strong hands around his boyfriend and pulled him in close. "Hiro-san...I love you," he sighed happily.

"I love you too..." Hiroki murmured back, then rolled towards him and pressed his forehead against the younger man's hot chest.

"Does your head still hurt?"

"...no," Hiroki admitted.

"That's good." Hiroki glanced upwards to see Nowaki's trademark goofy grin. "I also heard that lovemaking can be a natural painkiller when it comes to headaches."

Hiroki gaped. "What!? So that was...that was all just a home remedy?"

"Maybe," Nowaki admitted. "But it sure was good medicine for me, too." He hugged Hiroki tightly, kissing the top of his tousled head.

"Stupid," Hiroki said in a muffled voice, his cheeks flushed with happiness.


	8. Chapter 8

Nowaki woke up early one morning about a month later. He wrapped his arms around his sleeping lover, and kissed him gently. "Good morning, Hiro-san," he said quietly. Hiroki slowly opened his eyes, looking slightly irritated. "Happy birthday."

Hiroki suddenly snapped to life. "It's my birthday!" he crowed. "And I'm going to drink aaaallllll day long!"

Nowaki looked concerned. "I really don't think that would be advisable."

"You shut your mouth, brat," Hiroki snapped. His scowl softened into a smile as he thought. "Hmmm, for the morning, should I start out with a Bloody Mary or with a Mimosa? Tomato juice is really good for me, I guess. Practically counteracts the vodka entirely." He slid out of bed and trotted into the kitchen.

Nowaki followed him, worried. "You shouldn't drink so early in the morning."

"I always do this on my birthday!" Hiroki told him. They had been dating on Hiroki's last birthday, but Nowaki's "stray cat" act, as Hiroki called it, had kept him away for the day. Not that Hiroki had even told him what the day was - that was his private drinking time and he didn't want to be disturbed. But now that they were living together, there was no avoiding Nowaki seeing his "tradition".

"Let's do something else instead," Nowaki tried to convince him. "I want to take you out for a date."

"To a bar?" Hiroki asked hopefully.

"No...I'm not twenty until next month," Nowaki reminded him.

"Then I can't go. I have to drink!"

Nowaki sighed in defeat. There seemed to be no convincing the man against it. So, he decided to stop arguing about it. At least he could be there to keep Hiroki from hurting himself while intoxicated. He shuddered to think what kinds of situations Hiro-san had gotten himself into in previous years. He was imagining pretty close to the truth...some regrettable one night stands, though he was luckily unaware of Hiroki's twenty first birthday, when he woke up with not one but _two _strangers in his bed. _That _had been an awkward morning.

Nowaki smiled as he remembered something. "I got you a present," he said proudly.

"Socks?" Hiroki asked.

"No, not socks." He handed over a carefully wrapped package, which Hiroki didn't hesitate to open.

"It's...it's that book. You remembered," Hiroki said, genuinely surprised.

"Mmm hmm." Nowaki nodded, smiling softly.

"Well, thank you," Hiroki mumbled, fingering the cover for a moment as he tried to hide his pleased blush. He set it aside, gave Nowaki an awkward, stiff kiss on his cheek, and then turned his attention to the drink he had already mixed for himself. "Yes, twenty four years old!' he crowed after taking a long sip of Bloody Mary. "I'm practically an old man now."

"Don't be silly, Hiro-san. You are still very young."

Hiroki just laughed and headed into the living room, where he flipped the television onto cartoons. The drunker he got, the funnier he found the content, and soon he was roaring with laughter over the stupidest of jokes. Nowaki found himself actually enjoying seeing his lover so loose and relaxed.

Nowaki fixed them some sandwiches for lunch, and after eating, Hiroki fell asleep abruptly on the arm of the couch. Nowaki smiled, figuring that was the end of the drinking party. He went into the bedroom at sat at their desk, where he completed some assignments for school that were due later in the week.

When he reemerged a couple of hours later, he was surprised to hear the clinking of ice in the kitchen. Hiroki was up again, making himself a Screwdriver. Nowaki began to say something against it, but bit his lip for fear of setting off a drunken temper tantrum. He had never seen Hiro-san mad AND drunk, and he didn't want to. _He's bad enough sober_, Nowaki thought to himself with a frightened tremble.

However, at no point in the afternoon or evening did Hiroki get mad. Rather, the more intoxicated he became, the more jovial he was. The two lovers sat on the floor in the living room, eating potato chips while Hiroki steadily continued drinking. Hiroki laughed and smiled, continuing his random train of thought. "And I always thought it might be fun to be a wrestler. What do you think?"

Nowaki was startled. "Ah...it's a rather dangerous profession."

"Yeah..." Hiroki breathed drunkenly. "But just think! You get to throw things at people all day long, yell and bite and say whatever the hell you want!" He continued to ramble on about the subject before abruptly leaning forward and clutching on to the front of Nowaki's shirt. "God, Nowaki, you always smell so damn good," he sighed, burying his face there and breathing deeply.

Nowaki could feel his cheeks blushing. Hiroki was never this openly affectionate to him. He wasn't really sure what to do in such a situation..._should I make a move on him or will he get pissed off at me?_ Unable to decide, Nowaki just stayed still, letting Hiroki clutch onto him happily.

Hiroki's arms snaked around his waist. holding him tightly. "And you're soooo sexy..." he slurred. "Big and tall and lean and oh my fucking god, your voice turns me on. I nearly come in my pants every time you say my name." He giggled to himself, and Nowaki was too shocked to speak or do anything.

Hiroki giggled and hiccuped, being very unlike his usual self. "Hey...Nowaki..." he purred, smiling crookedly.

"Y-yes, Hiro-san?" Nowaki stuttered, wondering what his lover would say now.

Hiroki just smiled more, his eyes slowly closing and opening. He scooted back across the floor, until his hips bumped into the bottom of the couch. There, he lifted the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head and off. Nowaki could feel his heart start to beat faster, and he moved a little closer. "No, stay back," Hiroki commanded him in a playful voice. Nowaki swallowed hard, his heart pounding loudly now.

Hiroki leaned back against the frame of the couch, then slowly lifted his left hand to his mouth. He licked at the pad of his thumb and forefinger for a moment, then moved them to one nipple and began to tweak it roughly. His eyes closed and he murmured breathlessly to himself as he switched attention to the other nipple.

Nowaki tried to get closer once again, but Hiroki heard him moving and opened his eyes. "No...just watch..." Hiroki begged him. Nowaki surreptitiously adjusted his hardened member through his jeans, and sat back on his heels, staring at his amazing Hiro-san putting on the show of a lifetime.

Hiroki's right hand was now shoved in his pants, where he fiddled with himself for a few moments, moaning in pleasure. He then took both hands to his waistband and clumsily unfastened his pants. They were removed within a minute, and he rubbed his erection through his underwear, watching Nowaki watching him. Hiroki's eyes were half-closed in pleasure, and Nowaki's were wide and aroused.

"Mmm...I'm so, so horny..." Hiroki moaned, licking his lips. Nowaki gave a little groan of agony at being unable to touch his beloved Hiro-san when he was this ready. But Hiroki just smiled lazily and shoved his underwear down on his thighs, exposing himself. He was fully erect underneath, and he wrapped a hand around it and began to stroke. "Oh, oh..." he whispered, making the most incredible sounds of mounting excitement that Nowaki had ever heard. Nowaki couldn't help but reach down and smooth one large hand over the painfully tight bulge in his crotch.

Meanwhile, Hiroki sucked on the fingers of his free hand urgently, then lowered them between his legs. Nowaki just watched in thrilled, shocked amazement. One wet finger slipped inside his tight entrance, and he threw his head back and moaned. "Oh...oh yeah..." He pumped the finger in and out of himself. "Mmm, more..." he panted, then pushed a second finger, entwined with the first. His erection throbbed and stood out from his body as he pleasured himself. His toes curled as he felt himself hurdling over the threshold. "Oh...oh my god, Nowaki!" he screamed, exploding all over himself.

"Hiro-san..." Nowaki moaned, moving forward quickly. Seeing his beautiful Hiro-san being so sexy...there was no way he could hold back. He opened his own pants in a flash and pulled out his erect member, which was simply oozing with pre-come from the eroticism of the scene. "I need to fuck you..."

"Please," Hiroki sighed raggedly, his whole body glowing in satisfaction. He turned his back to Nowaki and pressed his face into a pillow that lay on the floor.

Nowaki moved up close and held onto Hiroki's hips. "Hiro-san...I want you so badly," Nowaki groaned as he pushed the tip inside.

"Nowaki!" Hiroki screamed. It was just too good. Every inch of his skin wanted to be touched and kissed by his lover, and he was too far gone to care how cheesy or lame it was. "Kiss me...touch me," he begged.

Nowaki complied easily, his lips making contact with Hiroki's back. He sucked and made love bites, desperately marking his unusually unreserved lover. At the same time, he thrust in and out of Hiroki's body. "Oh, god, Hiro-san..." he moaned. "You're so tight and amazing..."

"Mmm...Nowaki..." Hiroki sighed. He could feel his manhood beginning to get hard once more, and he reached down to stroke himself. But, he was intercepted by Nowaki, who took hold of his rigid member and pumped it steadily. "Nowaki...I'm...oh no...I...ahhh!" Hiroki screamed, then pulsed out unexpectedly onto Nowaki's long fingers.

"Hiro-san..." Nowaki groaned in pleasure. He drove himself inside of the man deeply, and then cried out loudly as he came.

Hiroki collapsed to the floor, causing Nowaki's member to slip out of him. Nowaki smiled and laid carefully on his back, hugging and kissing him happily. Hiroki just closed his eyes and sighed deeply, then began snoring almost immediately.

Nowaki chuckled softly, then stood up, carrying the nude form of his lover to their bedroom. He got a warm, wet washcloth from the bathroom, cleaned him up, and then dried him off with a handtowel. He tugged a pair of pajama pants onto Hiroki's legs, and put one of his own t-shirts on the man, since it was so much larger and easier to slip his unconscious body into. Hiroki's flushed face lolled around as he was dressed, and Nowaki couldn't help but smile at how cute he looked.

Nowaki lovingly covered him with blankets and went back to the living room. He cleaned up the mess they had made on the hardwood floor, humming happily to himself. Then he took a quick shower and dressed for bed, but he didn't lay down until he placed a large glass of water and some aspirin on Hiroki's bedside table for the inevitable hangover that was sure to come in the morning.

He wrapped his arms around his brunet lover, kissing his head lovingly. "Happy birthday," he whispered in his ear.

**Author's Note: Okay, I've had to make up a few things so that I can write about birthdays. We get no definite birthdays for the boys, only a few clues. Usagi is born in March, Nowaki was born during typhoon season - which is May to November, (so not much help there), Misaki's birthday is during summer vacation - late July through August in Japan, and Shinobu's birthday is at some point while he's taking college entrance exams, so probably February. So I made them up! I've already given you 7/17/84 for Nowaki, but I'll actually be changing that back to 1985 to make him 4 years younger than Hiroki, who is the same age as Usagi, WHO was born in 1981 as I said in Silly Rabbit. He has to be born then or he's not Year of the Cock in the Chinese Zodiac! And it fits soooo well. Usagi will be 3/31/1981 (which coincidentally, is my own birthdate), Hiroki is 6/1/1981. Misaki's birthday is 8/8/90, and Shinobu's is 2/10/91. I haven't figured out Miyagi's yet because there are no clues for that (this feels like a logic problem now.) Though he would be born in 1974, at any rate. Whee, so that's that! Also, this is taking place in 2005, and the current story would be taking place in 2009.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

"Hiro-san, can you help me study for my chemistry exam?"

Hiroki gritted his teeth together. He was terrible at science, but he couldn't admit such a thing to Nowaki. "I don't have time!" he shouted instead, fiddling with his laptop as if he was actually doing work. "Get a study partner or something!"

Nowaki dipped his head in assent. The matter passed, seemingly without much incident, until a few days later. Hiroki was waiting impatiently for Nowaki to come home. "It's Thursday!" he grumbled to himself. "He always gets home early on Thursday...and I wanted us to go to the grocery store together."

The phone rang, shaking him out of his cloud of discontent. "Hello?" he barked into it.

"Hiro-san? It's me, Nowaki," came the voice on the other end.

"Of course it's you," Hiroki snapped. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the school. I found a study partner!" he chirped brightly.

"Well, good for you. When are you coming home?"

"Well, there's a lot I don't understand, so this may take a while. Please, go ahead and eat if you get hungry."

"Fine," Hiroki mumbled, hanging up the phone. He pouted about it for a while before making himself some ramen and turning into bed early.

When he woke up the next day, he rolled over to face Nowaki...but found nothing there. "What the hell??" he screeched. "Didn't he come home last night? What kind of study session was it??" He jumped up, fuming angrily, then he glanced at the clock and saw it was almost eight a.m. Nowaki had to start his paper route early on Fridays to get all the weekend editions delivered, so he was of course already gone. Hiroki even went over to the hamper and looked down at the clothes Nowaki had been wearing the morning before as confirmation he had been there.

Hiroki showered and dressed, going on with his day. Nowaki continued to stay at school late for the following week, making Hiroki more and more disgruntled. He was somewhat used to Nowaki having an irregular schedule, but for some reason this time it annoyed Hiroki incredibly. When Nowaki would finally get home, he'd avoid his kisses and affections, feeling oddly disgruntled and unsexy. Nowaki sadly accepted his partner's foul mood, chalking it up to his fiery temperament.

The following Friday, when Hiroki got home, Nowaki was sitting at the dining table...across from another man.

"Ah, welcome home," Nowaki said, his face brightening up at the sight of his lover. "Hiro-san, this is Keiichi," Nowaki said, introducing the man, who turned around to face him.

Hiroki couldn't help but narrow his eyes suspiciously. Honey colored hair and big blue eyes...he was gorgeous. _THIS is Nowaki's study partner? The one he's spending hours alone with?! Give me a fucking break!!!_

The man blinked slowly, his long black eyelashes lowering over his cheeks. "Ah, you must be Nowaki's roommate," he said breezily.

Hiroki started to snap out that he was not just his roommate, but his lover; however, something made him bite his tongue. "Yeah," he mumbled instead. Nowaki's eyebrows moved slightly and he seemed about to say something, but he also refrained.

Hiroki went into the kitchen and bit into an apple, pretending to read the paper but watching the two of them surreptitiously instead. He blanched when Keiichi looked straight at him and seemed to smirk slightly, then went right back to work. _Who does he think he is??_ Hiroki griped to himself. _He's a guest here, he shouldn't smirk at me!_

Finally, it irritated him so much, that he felt he couldn't stick around any longer. "Oy, Nowaki. I'm going out," he grunted, tossing his apple core in the trash.

"Oh, I'm sorry Hiro-san, I know you need to work on your thesis. We're in the way," Nowaki lamented.

"I never said that, you big doofus," Hiroki grumbled. "I'm going to the library."

"We can go to my place," Keiichi suggested, a tad too cheerfully for Hiroki's taste.

Nowaki looked up at Hiroki, his expression searching. Hiroki gritted his teeth. "I don't care what the hell you do! Stay here, go out, whatever! _I'm_ going to the library!" he repeated.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him while you're gone..." Keiichi said suggestively, smiling slowly.

"Whatever..." Hiroki grumbled, totally at a loss for words. He snatched up his laptop case and stormed off for the library, completely irritated beyond reason. Once there, he banged angrily at the keyboard, not really sure what he was so upset about. Yeah, the guy was obviously trying to aggravate him, but it didn't mean that he was after Nowaki or anything...

_After Nowaki?_ Hiroki swallowed hard, an uncomfortable feeling beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. He had never really considered the possibility before. Sure, Nowaki was tall...and attractive...and nice...and sexy...and...

_Uh oh._

Hiroki stuffed his laptop back in the case and began to hurry for home. When he got there, he was relieved to _NOT _see Keiichi mounting Nowaki or anything like that. Instead, he didn't see Nowaki at all. Keiichi was still seated at the table, working diligently on some problems. "Where's Nowaki?" Hiroki blurted out.

"Shhh, you'll wake him up," Keiichi whispered. Hiroki felt his chest tightening at the familiar way Keiichi said it.

"What do you mean?" Hiroki snapped.

Keiichi gestured towards the couch. "He's worn out. He laid down on the couch for just a second and then he was out like a light." Keiichi blinked slowly a few times, showing off those impossibly long lashes. "I really admire him. He works four part time jobs, yet still finds so much time to study. He's really an inspiration." Hiroki just grunted in response. "You know what he really needs?" Keiichi asked, lifting his eyebrows slightly.

"No, what?" Hiroki snapped.

"A man who really appreciates him." Hiroki's eyes widened, and he just stared back into the cold blue eyes of his rival. "Yes, that's what he deserves. Someone who will treat him like the wonderful man he is." Hiroki found himself unable to speak for a moment as he grappled with strong feelings. "I've been admiring him all semester, and when he started asking around for a tutor, I just jumped at the opportunity to get closer to him. But, I was pretty disappointed to find that he already had a boyfriend..." Keiichi lamented.

Hiroki started to feel a little better, until Keiichi continued speaking. "Of course, what a relief it was to find his boyfriend was just some loser asshole." Keiichi smiled smugly. "This'll be easy. Like taking candy from a baby..."

Hiroki struggled to speak, his throat constricting sporadically. "You're...you're wrong..." he managed to get out.

"No, I don't think I am," Keiichi said, shaking his head. "I've got you all summed up. You're just a typical ungrateful bossy bottom. Nowaki's the kind of guy that wants to be appreciated, and I'm just the man to..._appreciate _him fully." He turned away and laughed lightly.

_Big mistake_.

Keiichi flew forward, slamming into the table, as a rather heavy master's level literature textbook hit him squarely on the back of his head. "LIKE HELL YOU WILL!!!" Hiroki screamed, erupting in rage. "Nowaki is MINE, all MINE, and I will snatch every nasty little blond hair out of your head if you ever even look at him again!!!" He panted heavily as the man attempted to sit up straight once again. "Get out!!! Get out and don't ever come back!"

Keiichi groaned and stood up wobbily. "You're a crazy mother fucker..." he hissed, glaring at Hiroki.

"That's right, I _am _crazy! And don't you ever forget it! You picked the wrong _'bossy bottom'_ to fuck with, you son of a bitch!" Hiroki continued to seethe as Keiichi made his way out, having no choice but to exit.

Meanwhile, Nowaki had awoken from the couch and was watching the scene with wide, amazed eyes. "Ah...Hiro-san?" he asked nervously. Hiroki's cheeks burned terribly with shame. He slammed and locked the door behind Keiichi, then tried to evade Nowaki's gaze. Nowaki advanced upon his lover. "What just happened, Hiro-san?"

"I d-did you a favor, that's what happened!" Hiroki exclaimed. "That guy was out to get you and I scared him off!"

"Out to get me? What do you mean?"

"He...he wanted to jump your bones!"

"Beat me up?"

"No! He wanted to fuck you! He said so! And I said...I said..." Hiroki faltered, his face glowing with blush.

Nowaki just gazed calmly at his older lover. "What did you say?" He hid his pleased smile the best he could, for he had heard every precious, possessive word Hiroki had shouted out.

"I told him you were mine, okay?" Hiroki finally blustered out. "I...I'm not giving you up to anyone else! I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, and maybe I don't really deserve you, but I don't give a fuck about that! You're mine, MINE, dammit!" He clutched onto Nowaki's shirt front desperately. "And you're...just mine."

Nowaki embraced him warmly. "Yes, Hiro-san," he said, his voice happy beyond belief. He leaned down and kissed Hiroki's lips urgently. Hiroki didn't even bother to fight, instead melting into the kiss. It had been a week since they had been together, and he didn't protest as he was deftly lifted into Nowaki's strong arms and carried into the bedroom.

There, the brunet was swiftly undressed. Nowaki lowered his head between Hiroki's thighs, but instead of taking his rather eager cock into his mouth, he moved down further and lashed his tongue out at Hiroki's twitching entrance.

"Iyaaaa!" Hiroki howled, moaning desperately. "Don't! That's gross!" He couldn't deny how pleasurable it felt, though.

"It's not gross, Hiro-san," Nowaki whispered between movements of his tongue. "Nothing about you could ever be gross..." He sighed happily as he continued to taste his lover.

"Nowaki..." Hiroki moaned, writhing on the bed. Nowaki parted Hiroki's thighs as far as they would go with his hands, massaging the firm flesh as he did so. Then he reared back and retrieved the lubrication, making himself completely slick before nudging the head against Hiroki's trembling hole.

"Hiro-san...I love you so much..." he whispered, then pushed himself inside. Hiroki screamed out and clutched at his back, trying to hold on as Nowaki rode him for all he was worth. "I love you...more than anything on earth."

"Mmm..." Hiroki sighed, his body glowing with pleasure. It had seemed like forever since they had made love, and he savored every single sensation. Every breath on his neck, every whisper in his ear, every loving kiss on his skin, every thrust, every movement, every second. He didn't want to miss any of it.

He wrapped his thighs around Nowaki's waist, groaning uncontrollably. Nowaki reached between their bodies and stroked evenly at Hiroki's erection. "Ohhh...Hiro-san...you're so tight and perfect inside..."

Hiroki whimpered and thrashed as Nowaki's words pushed him over the edge. "Nowaki!" he cried. "It's...oh fuck...ohhhh...you're going...to make me come!!!" He arched his back and pressed himself as hard as he could against the onslaught of pummeling, then shot out powerfully all over his own chest as he came. Nowaki groaned in ecstasy at the sight, and buried himself deep inside, crying out his lover's name as he did so.

They fell asleep in a happy, satisfied tangle of limbs. The next morning, when Nowaki emerged from his shower, he was surprised by Hiroki throwing a scrap of paper at him. "What's this, Hiro-san?" he asked.

"Your new tutor," Hiroki muttered, blushing. "My senpai recommended her to me."

"Her?"

"Yes, that's right; _her_. She's a sixty five year old retired high school chemistry teacher." Hiroki looked away, blushing as he saw Nowaki's pleased, understanding smile. "Don't even smirk at me! I'm paying for these lessons, so be grateful!"

"I am, Hiro-san," Nowaki breathed, nuzzling his face into his lover's hair. Hiroki just sighed happily, enjoying Nowaki's warmth.


	10. Chapter 10

"What do you mean you have to work on your birthday?" Hiroki cried indignantly. They were just turning in to bed when Nowaki let loose this little revelation.

Nowaki shrugged apologetically, pulling his shirt on over his head. "They really need me at the flower shop. But they close at 6pm, so we can celebrate after that."

"Fine," Hiroki grumbled. He kicked his legs a little under the sheets, feeling frustrated.

Nowaki slipped into his side of the bed, smiling gently. "Why? Did you want to snuggle with me all day?"

"No way, you perverted romantic idiot! You'll be twenty, so it's time to initiate you into the world of drunkenness."

Nowaki frowned as he clicked off the lamp and settled in next to his lover. "But I don't want to be a drunk."

"It doesn't matter whether you want to be one or not. It's simply tradition. You have to get fucked up on your birthday."

Nowaki pulled him into a spooning position. "I'd rather just get fucked," he purred, and Hiroki angrily kicked back at him, striking him in the shin. "Ow, Hiro-san, that hurt."

"Good! And, w-what do you mean, you'd rather get f-fucked?" he stammered nervously.

Nowaki blinked in surprise against the darkness. "That I want to have sex with you."

"Like, normal sex?" Hiroki asked suspiciously.

"What does 'normal sex' mean?"

"Don't make me say it!"

"But I don't know what you mean, Hiro-san. Please explain."

"Y-you do know, and you're just trying to get me to say perverted things for your own sick enjoyment!"

"I don't do things like that," Nowaki insisted.

Hiroki sighed loudly. "N-normal sex means...you know, when you put it...in me."

Nowaki furrowed his brow. "Oh, okay...but, what other kind of sex is there?" Hiroki simply grumbled under his breath. Realization washed over Nowaki. "Oh. Oh! Hiro-san, I understand! Is that what you meant? Do you want to do that?" He actually sounded excited.

"Good night!" Hiroki barked, tugging on the covers and burying his face in his pillow.

"But, Hiro-san, did you mean that you want to put it in m-"

"I SAID GOOD NIGHT!" Hiroki shouted. Nowaki just smiled behind him and let it drop. He hugged Hiroki's stiff, angry back until he relaxed and they both fell asleep.

Two weeks passed, and finally, Nowaki was coming home from his shift at the florist's. Hiroki greeted him at the door energetically. "Are you ready to drink?!" he cheered.

"I guess," Nowaki said with a cheerful smile.

"Well, come on, we'll do this properly. It's your first time drinking after all, so we won't slum around in the house. We're going out." They walked to the bar that was just down the street from their apartment complex. "Go ahead," Hiroki encouraged him as they sidled up to the bar. "Order a drink."

"Ah...I don't know what to get," Nowaki said. "I've never drank before."

Hiroki thought for a moment. "Hmmm...you're a manly man, I guess...so wine and fruity cocktails are out. How about just a beer?"

"Okay, Hiro-san," Nowaki replied. The bartender approached then, and Nowaki smiled. "A beer, please."

"What kind?"

Nowaki looked helplessly at Hiroki for assistance. "He'll have a Sapporo, and so will I."

The bartender nodded, and Hiroki looked down at his wallet to get some money. "Can I see some ID please?" Hiroki smiled, still looking down. Nowaki was getting carded for the first time. An inevitable rite of passage. However, when he looked up with the money in his hand, the bartender was looking straight at him. "ID, please," he repeated.

"What, me? Aren't you going to card _him_?"

The bartender looked up at Nowaki, who loomed about eight inches over him. "No, he looks fine. But you..."

"I can't believe this!" Hiroki yelped, snatching out his ID and slapping it down on the counter. "I'm four years older than him!" The bartended looked over the ID, and handed it back, then went to get their beers. "I can't believe the nerve of some people!" Hiroki grumbled to his boyfriend.

"Well, you will be glad when you get older and people still think you look younger than you are," Nowaki offered with a smile. Hiroki cast him a death glare, so he wisely shut up. Their beers arrived, and Nowaki sipped his gingerly.

"Do you like it?"

"...It tastes like cold chicken broth."

"What?! What the hell is wrong with your sense of taste?" Hiroki snatched the bottle from him and took a big swig. "It tastes like beer, dumbass."

Nowaki smiled. "That was an indirect kiss, Hiro-san," he whispered.

Hiroki blushed. "Sh-shut up, you big idiot. Anyway, it's fine."

Nowaki made a glum face. "I don't want to drink it. It doesn't taste good."

"Just drink it!" Hiroki insisted. Nowaki took another sip, but continued to look sad. "Fine, fine," Hiroki eventually sighed, taking the bottle away. He signaled the bartender. "He needs something milder. This is his first time drinking."

The bartender smiled amiably at Nowaki. "Ah, well, do you like sweet things?"

"I love sweet things!" Nowaki chirped brightly. He glanced over at Hiroki, who swiftly kicked him before he could add, "Especially Hiro-san. He's so sweet." Nowaki winced as the bartender continued.

"You like strawberries?" Nowaki nodded, so the bartender said he'd be right back. The sound of the blender started up, and he returned a minute or so later holding a glass of a frosty pink liquid. "Strawberry daiquiri."

Nowaki sipped at it through the straw, then beamed. "It tastes good!" The bartender smiled, and took Hiroki's money for the drink. Hiroki sighed and resumed drinking, this time from Nowaki's abandoned bottle. "Ah, Hiro-san, that was another indirect kiss."

"I'm about to indirect kiss you to the moon," Hiroki growled. Nowaki just laughed and sipped more of his fruity drink.

"This tastes so good. I don't even think there is alcohol in it."

"Well, there better be, for what I paid for it," Hiroki grumbled. He drained Nowaki's bottle and started working on his own. "But, you're such a big lunk, it'll probably take a lot to get you drunk, I'm sure."

He couldn't have been more wrong, for Nowaki was completely plastered by his second daiquiri. "I better get you home," Hiroki sighed. "If you pass out, I'll never be able to carry your big ass home."

"I don't have a big ass, Hiro-san," Nowaki giggled, allowing Hiroki to lead him out of the bar and down the street. "But you have a nice ass." He popped it suddenly, and Hiroki about blew his lid.

"You f-fucking idiot!" he snapped. "Someone could have seen that!"

"So what?" Nowaki laughed. "Then they'd just know we're in love."

"Th-that's exactly the problem!" Hiroki pointed out. "We're two guys!"

"So?"

"So! Society doesn't exactly approve of that."

"Then fuck society," Nowaki slurred, smiling happily. "I love my Hiro-san and I don't care who has a problem with it." He took Hiroki's hand in his, squeezing it tightly.

"You're such a dumbass," Hiroki mumbled, but he didn't pull his hand away. He urged Nowaki up the flights of stairs to their apartment, and they entered together. "God, I never would have thought you'd be such a cheap date," Hiroki laughed. "I'm barely even buzzed yet, and you're already fucking trashed."

Nowaki just smiled goofily, then began to remove his clothes. "What the hell are you doing?" Hiroki asked.

"It's time for my birthday sex," Nowaki said, licking his lips.

Hiroki fought a pleasurable shudder. "Yeah, I guess I owe you that much. Wanna do it in the bed or somewhere else? It's your birthday. You can pick where we do it."

Nowaki came up close to him, wrapping him in his big, hot, bare arms, and enveloping his mouth in an urgent kiss. "Yes...I have somewhere special I want to do it."

"Where's that?"

"In me."

Hiroki thrashed against his lover, blushing furiously and spluttering angrily. "Not this nonsense again! I'm telling you, I wasn't trying to say I wanted to do that to you! Why do you always have to twist around everything I say and do to fit your own sick agenda?"

"Because I'm always right," Nowaki whispered in his ear, and Hiroki's knees nearly buckled out from under him as he realized that was true. "I know you better than you know yourself," he told his beloved Hiro-san.

Hiroki shuddered with pleasure, clinging on to his lover. They made their way for the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes as they went. Hot kisses followed desperate groping, and soon they were naked and ready on the bed. Nowaki made a soft, low sound in his throat as he laid on his back, spreading his legs.

Hiroki's face pinked up, but he was determined to go through with it. He grabbed the lube off the bedside table, and made his fingers slick. He lowered his hand between Nowaki's thighs, then pressed his fingers in close, grazing Nowaki's entrance. Nowaki moaned in pleasure, gripping the sheets in his large hands. "Nowaki..." Hiroki breathed. "Have you ever done this before?"

"Of course not," Nowaki answered, his face flushed in desire. "I've never done anything except for with you, Hiro-san."

Hiroki's heart began pounding so loudly in his chest, he was sure everyone in the neighborhood could hear it. He had never topped anyone before, so this was a totally new experience for both of them. Almost like...they were virgins all over again. Hiroki suddenly felt nervous, but pushed it aside and continued to trace his fingers around Nowaki's unexplored hole. The tip of one finger went in, and Nowaki tensed up. "Relax," Hiroki urged him, his voice taking on a soothing tone that was utterly unfamiliar to either of them.

"Hiro-san..." Nowaki whispered. "Does it hurt when I do it to you?"

"A little, at first, sometimes," Hiroki admitted. "But it's worth it." He slid his finger further in, and when Nowaki didn't react negatively, he added a second one and began to thrust them in and out.

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki cried. Hiroki licked his lips, feeling like he was unable to hold back any longer. His cock was completely rigid, and it quivered in response to Nowaki's every sound and movement. So he quickly lubricated himself, and moved in between Nowaki's thighs. He angled the head downwards, and pushed it against Nowaki's opening. Nowaki cried out, but the head still managed to slip inside, and both men paused to groan loudly at the sensation.

Hiroki took a deep breath, and then pushed himself deeper inside. If he had thought Nowaki was hot on the outside, there was no measure for how hot the man was inside. It was positively searing the sensitive flesh on his cock in the most delightful way. He didn't know how long he'd be able to refrain from letting loose and coming inside that hot, tight feeling.

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki moaned, gripping onto his older lover and pulling him down for a kiss. Their tongues battled as Hiroki pumped in and out of him, and Nowaki reached down and pumped at his own erection rapidly. "Mmm...Hiro-san...I'm...ohhh..." He let out a long, loud cry as he climaxed suddenly.

Hiroki nearly fainted as he felt Nowaki's hot insides squeeze and tremble all around his length. He stilled his hips in shock, but the sensations were able to rip a powerful orgasm out of his body. "Nyaaaaa!!! Nowaki!!!" Hiroki screamed, releasing deep inside of his lover.

Afterward, they cleaned up and snuggled together under the covers. Nowaki breathed contentedly, holding Hiroki close. "So, are we going to do that from now on?" Hiroki asked.

Nowaki yawned. "If you want to, Hiro-san."

"Well, it was great and all, but..." He didn't know how to admit that he had missed the feeling of Nowaki inside of him, without totally shattering his own pride.

"I understand, Hiro-san," Nowaki murmured sleepily.

"Y-you understand what? I didn't say anything!"

"But I still understand," Nowaki whispered, before drifting off to sleep.

"You big mind reading dumb ass," Hiroki huffed, pressing his forehead into Nowaki's chest.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hiro-san, they're starting!" Nowaki shouted excitedly.

Hiroki grumbled, closing his laptop. He went out to the patio, where Nowaki was lighting a mosquito coil. "Ah, Hiro-san, aren't you going to wear your yukata?" Nowaki asked in a disappointed voice as he saw Hiroki was still wearing his regular clothing.

"Why bother?" Hiroki asked, sitting down on the bench. However, when he saw the dejected look on Nowaki's face, he rose to his feet and shuffled inside, muttering all the way. He reemerged from the apartment a few minutes later, wearing a soft blue robe. "You better be grateful for this," he grumbled.

"I am, Hiro-san," Nowaki assured him, smiling widely.

They had missed the fireworks their neighborhood had set off the last year, because Nowaki had to work. Hiroki had stayed inside the house and not watched them. He had never been much for things like fireworks. He just didn't really get what the big deal was. "A bunch of explosions - so what?" was his opinion of the whole thing. But Nowaki had been insistent that they watch together, so he gave in. And the big idiot had wanted to go all the way with it - wearing their yukata, lighting mosquito coils, and he even had sliced watermelon and takoyaki waiting there. "How fucking cliche," Hiroki muttered to himself.

"Did you say something, Hiro-san?" Nowaki asked brightly, turning his head towards his lover.

"No..." Hiroki muttered, folding his arms.

"Want some takoyaki?" Nowaki offered, holding the plate out.

"Yeah, sure." Hiroki bit into the delicious little morsel. Now this was one part of the fireworks tradition that he enjoyed.

"Ah...wasn't that one gorgeous?" Nowaki breathed, as an especially large burst lit up the sky.

"I guess." Hiroki greedily ate more takoyaki while Nowaki was transfixed by the colors. He finished almost the whole plate, then set it aside. "Oy. Pass me a piece of watermelon." Nowaki handed him a slice, and Hiroki began to eat it. "Wow, this is actually good watermelon! The last time I had any, it was mealy."

"My boss at the flower shop gave it to me," Nowaki said, staring up into the sky.

"Hmm." Hiroki laid the rind on the almost empty takoyaki plate, wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and finally turned his attention to the fireworks. Nowaki noticed that his boyfriend was finally watching, and so he scooted a litter closer, placing his hand over Hiroki's with a smile. "Dumb ass," Hiroki grunted, but he didn't pull his hand away.

"Hiro-san." Hiroki jumped as Nowaki's warm breath tickled his ear. "You know what I've always wanted to do?"

"Ha, let me guess. Make love under the fireworks, right? You horny bastard." Hiroki scoffed and rolled his eyes. How impossibly cheesy could the man be?

Nowaki lifted his eyebrows. "Well, actually, I was just going to say I've always wanted to kiss during the fireworks. But if you want more than that..." He leaned in with a smile.

"No! I didn't say I wanted that! How did you get that message?" Hiroki shouted. He was silenced by Nowaki's warm lips covering his own. He only struggled for a moment before giving in and letting Nowaki slip his tongue in his mouth. He felt a big, hot hand at the back of his head, toying with his messy brown locks and pulling him in even closer.

"Mmm...Hiro-san, look how excited you've made me..." Nowaki breathed, opening up his yukata to reveal his completely rigid cock.

Hiroki about blew his top. "Wh-what the fuck!? Don't expose yourself in public, you pervert! And why don't you have any underwear on?"

"It's our veranda," Nowaki pointed out, ignoring the last question. He didn't want Hiro-san to know that he had planned on this. "We're not out in public." He took Hiroki's hand and placed it on himself.

"Oh my god, you are such an unbelievable fool!!" Hiroki hissed.

"Yes, I'm a fool for you, Hiro-san..." He leaned in for another kiss, taking Hiroki by the hips and urging him to straddle his waist. Hiroki gave in with an aggravated groan.

"You're impossible..." he muttered, looking downwards as Nowaki untied his robe. It fell open, and Nowaki gently slipped his hands inside and began to tug Hiroki's briefs down. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he grumbled, standing up briefly to remove his underwear completely. He restraddled Nowaki, his now bare ass coming in contact with Nowaki's surging erection. "And then what will we use for lube? Watermelon juice?"

"That's a good idea, Hiro-san," Nowaki murmured, reaching out to the left and squeezing a piece in his hand.

"I-I was just kidding!" Hiroki protested. But Nowaki was already rubbing the pale pink liquid on his cock as he nibbled and licked at Hiroki's nipple. "Ahhh..." Hiroki moaned, hissing as Nowaki slipped one wet finger inside his ass. A second was quickly added, and despite himself, Hiroki found that he was moving up and down on Nowaki's fingers, enjoying the sensation. The warm night air on his skin made the experience doubly pleasurable.

Nowaki removed his fingers and guided Hiroki downwards onto himself. Hiroki threw his head back and moaned as the head breached his body. "Oh...Hiro-san..." Nowaki groaned deeply. They paused halfway in to kiss. Hiroki felt so delightfully warm all over that he couldn't even resist giving Nowaki a gentle, happy smile as their lips parted. Nowaki's eyes sparkled at the rare sight, trying to burn the image into his brain in case he never saw Hiro-san smiling that easily again.

They they began to move again. Hiroki bit his lip and pushed further down, as Nowaki gripped his lover's hips and pushed up. They met together with a groan from Nowaki and a breathless sigh from Hiroki. There was another break for kissing, and then Hiroki began to lift and lower himself, sliding up and down on Nowaki's thick cock.

Nowaki wrapped one big hand around Hiroki's erection, engulfing it entirely, then he pumped at it. Hiroki trembled slightly as he rode Nowaki, loving the feeling of Nowaki's hand gripping him so firmly. They breathlessly moved against each other, the explosions of the fireworks drowning out their enraptured moans. The bright flashes of light lit up their sweaty skin, staining it a hundred different colors at once. Hiroki could feel the booming in his chest...or maybe that was his heart just beating that hard.

"H-Hiro-san...I'm about to c-come..." Nowaki stammered, suddenly holding Hiroki's waist tightly and forcing him downwards. Hiroki took over stroking himself, pumping rapidly until he began to feel the heat pooling low in his belly.

"Nowaki!" he cried as the first wave of his orgasm rocked his body. Nowaki groaned in ecstasy and let go, shooting out deep inside of his lover as come splashed all over his chest.

They held each other, breathing heavily and listening to the fizzling crackles of the extinguishing fireworks.

The next evening, the phone rang, and Nowaki laid down the spatula, lowering the heat on the burner before answering. "Hello?" he said.

"Ah...is this the Kamijou residence?" a female voice asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Ah, then is Hiroki there? This is his mother."

Nowaki's face lit up. "Yes, he's here. Please hold on a moment..." He held the phone to his chest. "Hiro-san, it's your mother!" he said excitedly.

Hiroki looked up from his laptop. "What? What the hell does she want?"

"To talk to you."

"Well, of course she wants to talk to me. Ask her what it's about; I'm busy."

Nowaki lifted the phone to his ear once again. "Ah...forgive me, Kamijou-san, but Hiro-san is in the middle of something...he wants to know wh-what this is regarding." Nowaki felt nervous talking to Hiroki's mother in such a way.

"Oh, you call him Hiro-san? How cute is that!" Mrs. Kamijou commented. Nowaki blushed, which of course she couldn't see. "He's as anti-social as ever, I see. Tell him it's important and to come to the phone."

"Hiro-san, she says it's important." Hiroki rose with an aggravated sigh, crossed the room and snatched the phone out of Nowaki's hands.

"What, Mom?! I'm trying to work on my thesis here!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry for interrupting you. Listen, you know next week is the Bon Festival...you haven't come in so long and it would be really nice if you would make an appearance this year."

Hiroki groaned. Not the Bon Festival. He thought it was so stupid. All that fuss over a bunch of dead people. Sure, they were his ancestors or whatever, but his family turned it into some kind of huge family reunion every year. Which was SO not his scene. "Listen, Mom, I don't think I can make it."

"You don't want to come, is that what you meant to say?" She knew her son too well. "You really ought to come. Your cousin Himiko, she had a baby! Wouldn't you love to see it?"

"No."

"Your aunts are always asking about you. They want to see you."

"They're a bunch of annoying old biddies."

"...You'd better come or the spirits of your ancestors will haunt you," she threatened.

"Fine, fine, whatever!!" Hiroki finally shouted.

"Oh, good. I knew you'd come around. And bring that boyfriend of yours. He sounds cute and I want to meet him."

Hiroki's face went crimson. "Shut up, Mom! A-are you really s-sure you want me to show up at the family reunion with a boyfriend? What will everyone think?"

"They won't think anything. They all know you're gay." Mrs. Kamijou sounded unconcerned.

"And how do they all know that?! Why have you been telling everyone?!"

"Excuse me! I haven't been telling everyone. They all knew already."

"But how?"

"Honey, please. Anyone with half decent gaydar could figure you out. Well, I'll see you on the 13th!" she said cheerfully, and hung up before Hiroki could explode at her.

"What?! Don't you hang up on me!" Hiroki shouted into the dial tone. He hung up the phone in aggravation.

"Hiro-san..." Nowaki began.

"Yeah! Yeah! I have to go to a family reunion, and now so do you! It's all your fault for sounding so 'cute' on the phone with my mother!"

"But, Hiro-san..."

"Don't argue with me! You'd better go ahead and get the 13th, 14th, and 15th off of work!"

"Yes, Hiro-san," Nowaki said, turning around to hide his smile. He was delighted that he would get to go and meet Hiro-san's family.

A week later, they were taking the train to Osaka, where Hiroki's ancestors were from. His parents actually lived in another ward of Tokyo, but it was the custom to travel to one's ancestral land for the observance. The Kamijou family was rather large, and they came from all parts of Japan to Osaka every August, where they rented a series of cabins for their family reunion.

There was a shuttle bus that ran from the train station to the cabins, as many other families used the location for their O-bon get togethers as well. Nowaki carried their luggage as they approached a strip of cabins. "Hmmm...my mother said we're in Cabin 15...but there's more than one 15. These are B15... As usual, she got it screwed up, I'm sure." He spied the manager's office at the end of the row. "Hold on, you wait here with the luggage. I'm going to go double check."

Nowaki nodded and set down the suitcases. He stuck his hands in his pockets and paced around a bit, admiring the beautiful scenery. He was looking over his shoulder and walking back towards the luggage when he barreled into someone. "Oy! You ought to watch where you're going, you big doofus!" an irritated voice barked out.

"Ah, excuse me," Nowaki apologized. He looked down at the person, who was glaring up at him suspiciously. Nowaki recognized those angrily narrowed cinnamon colored eyes. _Oh! He's like a fat little Hiro-san!_ Nowaki thought. _How cute!_ He resisted the urge to pat the angry looking man on the head like a child.

"What the hell are you looking at me like that for?!" the man shouted. "Are you some kind of homo?" Nowaki blushed and stepped back, while the man huffed and moved to pass on.

"Oy, Nowaki!" Hiroki's voice called out. "We're in B15 after all," he said, then he slowed his walk as he got closer and saw his father angrily stomping away. "Hello, Dad."

The man stopped at the sound of his son's voice and wheeled around. "I thought this was Bon Festival, not the Fag Festival!" Mr. Kamijou shouted. "There's homos everywhere I look!"

"Aw, shut up! You're as big of an asshole as ever!"

"Ha! I'm sure you _love _assholes!"

"You goddamn jerk!" Hiroki screamed, flinging the pamphlet he had gotten from the office in his father's direction. He had never wished so hard to be holding a nice hardback book.

"Oh, I can always find my boys by following the screaming," Mrs. Kamijou said calmly as she came around the corner. Hiroki and his father panted and glared at each other, as the mild-tempered woman approached a bewildered Nowaki and bowed. "You must be Hiroki's boyfriend," she said, smiling. "I'm his mother, Hanako Kamijou. And the seething man is his father...but I'm sure you guessed that."

Mr. Kamijou wheeled around to glare back up at Nowaki, who was at least nine inches taller than him. "Oh, so I was right! You ARE a homo!" Nowaki gasped in surprise.

Mrs. Kamijou sighed. "That's not very nice, Yasahiro," she admonished him.

"What do I care about being nice?!" the man shouted.

"I oughta push you in the lake and drown you! You'd sink like a stone, you fat bastard!" Hiroki yelled.

"Boys, boys..." Mrs. Kamijou cut in. "Come on, our cabin's right here." Hiroki and Yasahiro put their arguing on hold and followed her, then both freaked out when they realized it was a two bedroom cabin that they would be sharing.

"What?! You mean we're all staying in this together?!" Hiroki shouted. "Uh uh. No way."

"Oh, what's the problem? You need privacy for your deviant gay sex acts?" Yasahiro yelled.

"I'm getting us another cabin," Hiroki huffed, turning to leave.

"Unfortunately, they're all booked up," Hanako apologized. "I never would have put you two in the same cabin, but there was no choice."

"Argg...if I'd known this, I would have never come!" Hiroki groaned. "I'll never survive three days cooped up with _you_!" He glared at his father.

"Oh, and like I want to spend time with you!" Yasahiro shot back. He suddenly glanced at his wristwatch. "Oh! Game's on." He waddled over to the couch and flipped on the TV, immediately losing interest in the argument.

Hanako just sighed and turned to Nowaki. "I deeply apologize for everything you've seen and heard. They're always like this. But I hate for you to see Hiroki acting so poorly. I'm sure it's upsetting to see him yell."

"Oh, I've seen him yell plenty of times," Nowaki said, smiling. "Now I see where he gets it from."

"What?!? Shut your big mouth, you idiot! I am NOTHING like him!"

"Two peas in a pod," Nowaki and Hanako sighed at the same time, as Nowaki dragged the luggage towards the bedrooms.

"WHAT?!?! I resent that remark!" Hiroki shouted. Nowaki and Hanako just continued down the hall.

"You and Hiroki can have the master suite," Hanako offered. She opened the door to reveal a queen sized bed with a jetted tub right in the room.

"Oh, no, Kamijou-san, I could never do that," Nowaki said.

"No, it's fine. It's not like Yasahiro and I will be using the tub together." She rolled her eyes. "But you two might actually get some use out of it." Nowaki blushed at her comment, but eagerly took the room after that.

After unpacking, Nowaki returned to the living room to find Mrs. Kamijou humming around the kitchen, preparing dinner. Hiroki and his father were both reclining on the couch, drinking beer and yelling at the TV together. "You fucking idiot! Are you blind?" Hiroki shouted at the umpire.

"What a load of crap!" Yasahiro yelled.

Nowaki entered the kitchen to help Hanako, and she smiled at him. "It's kind of adorable when they yell together, instead of at each other, isn't it?" Nowaki nodded, scrubbing sweet potatoes in the sink without being asked. "So, how did you and Hiroki meet?"

"Ah...well..." Nowaki wondered whether he should tell her the whole story or not. He decided to go for it. "I was in the park, and I saw him crying on a bench. I fell in love with him at first sight."

Hanako clutched her chest. "Oh my god, that's so romantic! But why was he crying?"

Nowaki started peeling the yams. "He'd just had his heart broken by his childhood friend."

"Ah, Akihiko. I understand now."

Nowaki nodded. "I was at the park with some friends, so I urged him to join us to cheer him up. It worked, but I needed an excuse to keep seeing him, so I begged him to be my tutor for the proficiency tests to get into college. It took some convincing, but he finally agreed."

"So, you're in college? What are you studying?"

"Social work. I'd like to become an orphanage administrator. I hope to take over the Kusama Orphanage someday. That's where I grew up."

"Oh, so you're an orphan? How tragic..."

"Well, actually, I got to meet my mother earlier this year. She was really young when she had me, and had to give me up. I hope to meet my father soon - he's an American."

"That explains your height," Hanako laughed. They continued to chat amiably as they prepared dinner.

The four ate the meal together. "The observances start tomorrow morning at sun up," Hanako told them. "So don't stay up too late." She winked at Nowaki, a move that Yasahiro saw.

"Oy! Don't encourage their homo behavior!"

Hanako looked at him innocently. "Whatever do you mean, dear?" she asked, and Nowaki stifled a laugh.

They turned in for bed early, and Hiroki raised his eyebrows at the in-room bathtub as Nowaki locked the door behind them. "What's this?" he asked. Nowaki simply walked over to it and began to fill it with warm water. "Oh ho ho...I see where this is going. You think we're getting in there and having lovey dovey romantic vacation sex. Oh, no, I'm onto your game. But listen up! I am SO not in the mood after spending time with my dad!"

Nowaki's arms draped around his shoulders suddenly. "Then allow me to get you back into the mood," he whispered into Hiroki's ear, causing the man to shudder. Nowaki leisurely disposed of both of their clothing, and then urged Hiroki into the tub with him. "See, isn't that nice?" he said as he flipped the switch to turn on the jets.

"Yeah, actually it is," Hiroki admitted. He sank back in the water, letting the churning warm melt away all his stress. He didn't resist as Nowaki pulled him into his lap and began stroking his member while kissing at his neck. "Mmm..." he sighed, spreading his legs and reaching between them to fondle Nowaki's erection.

They sighed and moaned, working each other closer to release. Hiroki went first, coming with a tremendous shudder. Nowaki groaned in pleasure, then came as well.

Meanwhile, in the other bedroom, Yasahiro frowned and folded his arms. "I hear that damn Jacuzzi running...and I hear homos moaning!"

"That's just your imagination, dear," Hanako said, switching out the lamp.

"It's not my imagination! Don't they know people are trying to sleep?!"

"Yes, yes, dear," Hanako yawned.

It was going to be an interesting O-bon this year...

**Author's Note: The fireworks scene is for vessto, who saw a fanart of Nowaki and Hiro-san doing this on my Facebook fan page and said "That has to happen!"**


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, they all got up at the crack of dawn to head to the nearby Buddhist temple and leave offerings for the Kamijou ancestors. "Hey, why is the big lug going too?" Yasahiro asked, frowning.

"Because he's part of the Kamijou family now," Hanako answered smoothly. Nowaki blushed deeply at the implications of her words.

"Ha!" Yasahiro snorted. "What, are they getting married? Don't tell me I have to pay for Hiroki's gay ass fruity tooty wedding gown. That'll be a cold day in hell!" He started to rant more, but Hanako abruptly popped him upside his head with the flat of her hand. Yasahiro was stunned into silence, and looked more surprised than anything.

"Quiet," she commanded, as they entered the temple.

"Why'd you hit me?" Yasahiro asked, sounding shocked and almost...weepy?

"Because!" Hanako huffed. "You need to stop giving Hiro-chan a hard time. We're lucky he's even spending any time with us now, and you keep cutting down his lifestyle."

"Well, excuse me for being upset that my only son turned out to be gay! Aren't _you _disappointed?"

"No!" Hanako said it with such finality, that all three men were surprised. "I'll tell you what, it's very hard on a woman to live with a Kamijou. I'm just glad that for once, some poor delicate flower of a woman doesn't have to put up with those horrible Kamijou temper tantrums! It's better off for you irritable fools to be with a man! At least you're on equal ground then!"

"That's the dumbest logic I've ever heard!" Yasahiro snapped.

"Quiet now!" Hanako admonished him again. The four kneeled down and began placing offerings for the Kamijou ancestors. Nowaki glanced nervously at Hiroki, who shrugged nonchalantly.

They finished the ceremony, and then headed back to the cabins, where the Kamijou family was having an outdoor cookout. Dozens of identical messy brown heads milled about, and as soon as they approached, one such brown head hurried up to Hiroki.

"Hello, Himiko," Hiroki said, smiling weakly and looking uneasily at the squirming brat in her arms.

"Ah, Hiro-chan!" the girl cried happily. She was the daughter of his father's sister, and they had been born just days apart, so they were always treated more like siblings then just cousins when they were little. The Kamijou genes were strong, and she had the same facial features, brown hair, and cinnamon colored eyes as her cousin and uncle. "Here, this is your little niece Nanako!" she said, handing her over.

The baby looked up into Hiroki's disgusted face, and immediately began wailing. Hiroki tried to hand her back, but Himiko was fussing in the diaper bag and was turned away. Hiroki desperately thrust the baby in the next set of arms. "Here, Nowaki, take this," he said, pushing her off.

"Ah, Hiro-san..." Nowaki carefully took hold of the crying baby, and a miracle occurred - she stopped crying. Instead, she just hiccuped softly, looking up at Nowaki's gentle face. "There's a good girl," Nowaki cooed gently.

Himiko turned back around, and noticed that her baby was in a stranger's arms. Hiroki jumped in to explain. "Ah...Himiko, this is Nowaki...my boyfriend..." He mumbled the last two words.

Himiko heard them nonetheless. "Ah, nice catch, Hiro-chan. He's good looking _and _he's good with kids."

Hiroki blushed fiercely. "Whatever! Where's the bar in this place?" he grumbled, stomping off to find a drink.

Nowaki carefully handed the infant back to her mother. "She's a beautiful baby," he commented.

"Thank you," Himiko said, smiling warmly at him. "So...you and Hiro-chan, huh?"

"Yes."

"He's probably a pain to live with, huh?"

"He can be. But he can also be so sweet and adorable, it makes up for it." Nowaki smiled, crinkling his eyes, then winced as Hiroki slapped him on the back of the head.

"You fool! When am I ever adorable?" Hiroki hissed. He grumbled to himself and sipped his beer.

"You're definitely not adorable right now," Himiko pointed out.

"Shut up," Hiroki grumbled.

"Oh! Hiro-san! That boy over there looks just like you!" Nowaki suddenly exclaimed.

Hiroki turned his head to look, then groaned. "Oh god, it's that goddamn goody goody Daisuke," he hissed.

"Who's that?"

"One of my cousins. Our dads are brothers."

"Oh, so his last name is also Kamijou."

"Yeah."

"He looks so much like you..."

"Yeah, but the similarities end there! He's the wimpiest, gooniest doormat that ever lived." He took another drink of beer and glared at his cousin. They were only two years apart in age, so they had been compared constantly as kids. And inevitably, it was always, "Why can't Hiroki be more friendly like Daisuke? Why can't he be as loving? Why can't he be as nice?"

"Because being nice sucks!" Hiroki hissed under his breath. He groaned as Daisuke caught sight of him and trotted over.

"Well, hello, Hiro-chan!" he called happily.

"Don't call me -chan," Hiroki scowled.

"So this must be your special friend, huh?" Nowaki shook the man's hand in a daze. It was a shock to see this carbon copy of Hiro-san smiling and laughing so amiably.

"_Special friend_...who the hell still says things like that nowadays? You goofy loser..." Hiroki grumbled. _He aggravates me as much as ever!_

"Ha ha, Hiro-chan, you're still so funny. Sooo...what's your name?"

"Nowaki Kusama," Nowaki replied.

"I'm Daisuke Kamijou," he said, shaking his hand again. "I'm so glad Hiro-chan finally has a special friend. I know most of his bad moods come from being lonely," he said in a stage whisper.

"Will you shut your goddamn trap?!" Hiroki yelled. "And if you say, 'special friend' one more time, I'm going to kick you! That sounds so fucking stupid!"

"Oh? What should I call him, then?" Daisuke smiled goofily.

"I don't know! My boyfriend, my lover, the guy that _fucks _me; I don't give a damn! Just don't say 'special friend' anymore!" Hiroki paused to catch his breath.

"Hiro-san..." The edge of Nowaki's lip was curled slightly, though he tried to hide his smile. He also resisted the urge to tell the man how cute he was. He knew that would end painfully.

"Ha ha ha! You're so funny!" Daisuke laughed, totally unfazed by Hiroki yelling at him. He had endured it his whole life and it no longer affected him. "Hey, is that Aunt Junko?" He waved cheerfully and trotted off to see another relative.

"Arg...he looks like me, but he's got _your _goofy personality," Hiroki seethed.

"Hmmm...it's like if you and I had a child togeth-"

"Don't say it!" Hiroki warned. "Ugh, this is why I hate family reunions!"

"I think your family is nice," Nowaki said.

"Oh, you would, wouldn't you?" Hiroki replied sarcastically. He went off to get another beer from the bar, and when he came back, there were children crawling all over Nowaki. He was crouched down, talking to two of them while three other ones hugged onto his arms and back. "What the hell? I was gone for three minutes! Where did these brats come from?" Hiroki muttered to himself.

"Ah, Hiro-san," Nowaki said, looking up. "These are relatives of yours?"

"How should I know?" Hiroki grumbled. "They've been born since the last time I was around."

"What's yer name, big mister?" one of the little boys asked.

"You can call me Wacchan," Nowaki replied, smiling pleasantly.

"Oh, please..._Wacchan_? Seriously?" Hiroki groaned. He took a long drink of beer. "This family reunion is going to require large amounts of alcohol to get through..."

"Okay! Wacchan! Come play with us!" the little Kamijou boy cheered, running towards the playground. Nowaki rose to his feet, lifting three children effortlessly as he did so, and lumbered off for the swingset.

"Push meeee first, Wacchan!" Hiroki could hear the joyful cries of the children echoing.

"Ugh...now I don't even have anyone to complain to..." he grumbled, then glanced over and noticed his father also nursing a beer, looking disgruntled as usual. "What's that piss face for?"

"What piss face? Arg, your mother is yapping her damn beak to _my _mother, and she's ignoring me." A glum look flashed over his face for just a split second, before he composed himself. "N-not that I care anyway! Good riddance! I don't have to hear her yapping at me!" He looked around. "Where's your big bear?"

Hiroki jerked a thumb towards the playground, where Nowaki was gleefully sliding down the slide with two children on his lap. He scowled. "Covered in brats."

"Ugh, that's rough. Too many damn kids at these things." Yasahiro drained his beer. "I'm ready for another. What about you?"

Hiroki drank the remaining quarter bottle in one go. "Yup. Come on," he said, and the two peas in a pod stomped off together.

Back at the cabin later that evening, Hiroki and Nowaki brushed their teeth and got ready for bed in the shared bathroom. Nowaki dried his face on a towel after washing it. "But still, it was really fun," he insisted.

"Please," Hiroki scoffed. "Family reunions are only fun for idiots. Who actually likes all that nonsense?"

"I liked it," Nowaki said, sounding slightly hurt.

Hiroki hastily backpedaled. "Well, you have an excuse...you didn't get to have all that as a kid. So, I mean, it's fine if you liked it...I just meant..." He turned away awkwardly, suddenly feeling bad for cutting down on Nowaki.

He gasped as two strong arms enveloped him from behind. "Hiro-san...you're so cute."

"I'm not cute..." Hiroki weakly protested. "No one but you has ever said I was cute."

"Good. I don't want anyone else to know how cute you can be," Nowaki said. "They might try to steal you away."

"Ha! Fat chance of that," Hiroki huffed, blushing as Nowaki kissed the side of his neck.

"Hiro-san...I feel like getting in our tub again."

"St-stupid..." Hiroki stammered. Nowaki's hands traveled down Hiroki's chest, grazing his already hardened nipples through his shirt. Hiroki couldn't fight a moan, throwing his head back slightly.

Unfortunately, right at that second, the door slid open to reveal Yasahiro clutching a newspaper. He just stared at the homoerotic scene inside, his only son flushed and groaning in the arms of another man. Hiroki and Nowaki, for their part, stayed frozen in shock at being caught.

Nowaki expected Hiroki's father to explode, but instead he just silently slid the bathroom door closed again. "What...just happened there?" Hiroki finally asked.

"I think your dad just accepted us," Nowaki whispered, kissing Hiroki's cheek and releasing him.

"Pshh...yeah right," Hiroki scoffed. He couldn't fight a slight blush at the idea that Nowaki might be right.

Nowaki, meanwhile, had exited the bathroom and headed for their bedroom, where he was filling the tub. Hiroki padded inside, stripping off his shirt and throwing it onto the bed. Nowaki smiled gently at the sight, and tugged off his own clothing.

The two men were soon disrobed, and climbed into the tub together, where Hiroki immediately straddled Nowaki and began kissing his lover urgently. "Nowaki...I love you..." he whispered between kisses, feeling unusually candid for reasons he didn't fully understand.

"Oh, Hiro-san...I love you, too," Nowaki groaned back blissfully. Their wet bodies started grinding against each other under the churning water, the tip of Nowaki's throbbing erection sliding against Hiroki's firm little ass over and over again. "Hiro-san...do you want to...?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes..." Hiroki moaned, and Nowaki spread him carefully and began to penetrate. "Oh! Nowaki!" Hiroki cried, clutching onto the man's arms. He pushed his way down, wanting to feel Nowaki all the way inside of him as soon as possible.

"Oh...Hiro-san...does it feel okay?"

"It feels wonderful..." Hiroki whispered, pressing his face into the crook of Nowaki's neck and shoulder. He managed to take Nowaki's thick, long cock all the way in, and he groaned loudly at the rush of feeling as his prostate was roughly stimulated. He reached under the surface of the water and began to jerk himself rapidly. "Mmm...mmm..." he moaned.

"Hiro-san...you're so beautiful..." Nowaki sighed. He thrust upwards into his brunet lover, gazing at the amazing sight before him; Hiroki's soft pink lips parted in rapture, his warm brown eyes half lidded, his hair in sexy disarray, and his cheeks stained with passion.

"Oh! Nowaki!" Hiroki cried, climaxing suddenly. He splashed out onto Nowaki's chest, and Nowaki let out a deep groan, pushing upwards for a few seconds before letting loose deep inside of his older lover.

They stayed in the tub together, not caring how messy the water had become.

A little while earlier...in the other bedroom; Hanako Kamijou winced as she heard the Jacuzzi start up and the moaning begin soon after. She glanced over at her husband, waiting for him to start ranting. But he simply shook out the pages of his newspaper, frowning slightly. "Stock market's up," he commented.


	13. Chapter 13

"Wake up. Oy, wake up, Nowaki." Hiroki was straddling his younger lover in their bed, shaking him not so gently.

Nowaki opened his cloudy blue eyes halfway. "Huh...? What is it?"

"It's your birthday!" Hiroki exclaimed. "Geez, are you just going to sleep the whole day away?"

"Please, just a little more sleep," Nowaki mumbled, closing his eyes again. Hiroki opened his mouth to argue and rant, but then he remembered that Nowaki had had a pretty hard day yesterday, working two of his jobs and coming in late. So he climbed off, watched Nowaki sleep for a little while, and then went into the kitchen, where he made coffee and read the newspaper.

Nowaki padded out about an hour later, his thick black hair adorably rumpled and sticking up in places. He scratched his stomach and looked around, so Hiroki jumped up. "I'm, uh, going to make you breakfast this morning," Hiroki said.

"But, Hiro-san..." Nowaki started to protest. "You don't have to do..."

"Shut up!" Hiroki barked. "I'm making you some goddamn birthday breakfast!" Nowaki nodded, hiding an amused smile, and he took a seat at the small table. Hiroki cleared his throat noisily and rolled up his sleeves, going to the fridge and getting out the necessary ingredients.

Half an hour later, they were eating misshapen but tasty blueberry pancakes. "So, what do you want for your birthday?" Hiroki asked with a bite of food in his mouth.

"Oh, I don't need anything, Hiro-san. I'll be happy just to spend the day with you." Nowaki smiled widely, and Hiroki blushed.

"B-But I mean...you know, what do you _want _for your birthday this year?" Hiroki said, looking away with a red face.

"Huh?" Nowaki wasn't sure what he was talking about.

"Don't make me say it!" Hiroki huffed. "You know, like your last two birthdays. What do you _want _from me?" He stressed the word _want _again, and Nowaki's eyes lit up.

"Oh. Oh! Well...I haven't really thought about it. Can I think about it for a while and then tell you later?"

"Sure, I guess," Hiroki mumbled. He stood up and began washing the plates, swatting Nowaki away angrily when the man tried to pitch in. "What's wrong with you? It's your birthday; be lazy! Go! Go sit on the couch and think up something perverted. I'm sure you can do it."

Nowaki smiled gently and walked into the living room, where he flipped on the TV and watched in thoughtful silence, barely paying attention to the actual programming. Instead, on the screen, he imagined his beloved Hiro-san, naked and doing a variety of things Nowaki had dreamed of in fantasies. Hiroki caught sight of the goofy, dazed grin on Nowaki's face, and knew he was probably in for an embarrassing night.

Indeed, when they got back from Nowaki's birthday dinner at a ramen shop; Nowaki turned on him, kissing him urgently. "Oy, what's gotten into you?" Hiroki panted as Nowaki sucked at his neck.

"Mmm...lots of hot, sexy images of you," Nowaki whispered, his hot breath tickling Hiroki's skin.

"St-stupid pervert..." Hiroki grumbled, but he allowed Nowaki to lead him back to the bedroom. There, he helped the man undress him, then fell back on the bed, spreading his legs and blushing terribly.

"Stay right there, Hiro-san," Nowaki breathed, then hurried out of the room. Hiroki was left feeling confused until Nowaki came back in, carrying a glass of ice cubes.

"Oh no. Wait a second now. What are you planning to do with those?" Hiroki asked in a rush, scooting backwards on the bed.

"Relax, Hiro-san. I promise you it'll feel good."

"I don't like cold things!" Hiroki protested, moving even further back. "Especially not on my skin! I don't like being cold!"

"You'll like this, Hiro-san," Nowaki assured him, in that velvety smooth, ever calm voice, and so Hiroki stopped moving away. He closed his eyes tightly as Nowaki hovered over him, holding an ice cube.

"Ahhh!" He screamed out as the cold fragment grazed his left nipple. The small pink nub immediately turned red and hardened, which prompted Nowaki to dip his head and warm it up again with his hot mouth. Hiroki had to admit to himself that he kind of enjoyed the shock of the difference in temperatures.

Meanwhile, as Nowaki licked and sucked at Hiroki's left nipple, the ice cube was teasing his right one. Hiroki moaned and melted into the bed, his eyes rolling back in his head. "Nowaki..." he said weakly, and gave an incoherent cry as Nowaki quickly switched sides, and the left nipple was the one that was cold again as Nowaki warmed up the right.

His whole body trembled as the ice cube suddenly left his body altogether. Hiroki wanted to open his eyes and see what Nowaki was doing, but he was too embarrassed to look Nowaki in the eyes at that moment. He knew his expression must be hopelessly aroused, and it was just too humiliating.

Further thoughts were cut off as the frozen cube made contact with his erection. "Nyaaa! Nowaki! No! That's too cold!" The ice was searing through the thin, sensitive flesh, and sending a chill through his whole body.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hiro-san," Nowaki murmured, and replaced it with his hot tongue.

"Ohhhh...that's better..." Hiroki sighed, arching his back and pushing his hips upwards to get more. Nowaki then slipped the ice cube into his mouth, and Hiroki really began to move; his body jerking and convulsing in reaction to the quickly alternating temperatures on his skin. Just as soon as the ice cube would chill a spot on his cock, it would move in Nowaki's mouth, and the spot would be warmed again by the rest of Nowaki's mouth.

The ice cube soon melted, and Nowaki reached for another one, teasing Hiroki's nipples again briefly with it, before trailing it down his lover's abdomen and then up his erection. It was popped into his mouth, and Nowaki resumed his sucking on Hiroki's length. Hiroki moaned helplessly, a total puddle of desire from this strange sexual treatment.

Nowaki removed the half-melted cube from his mouth, and then took Hiroki's cock back in, sucking it. Hiroki sighed, then gasped as the ice cube made a reappearance, low between his thighs this time. "Nowaki!" Hiroki yelled, as the cube danced around his entrance. "Y-You bast- ahhh...."

Nowaki said nothing in response, his mouth full, but simply pushed the ice cube inside of Hiroki's body. Hiroki screamed out again, but this time, the noise was full of tortured pleasure, not anger. Nowaki moved his mouth down, pushing the ice cube inside deeper and melting it simultaneously as he probed Hiroki with his tongue. Hiroki squirmed and moaned, begging Nowaki to fuck him, NOW.

So Nowaki reared up on his knees, grabbing the lube from the side table and slicking himself down. He pushed two fingers inside of Hiroki for a few moments, then lowered his body down and penetrated his lover. They both cried out loudly from the pleasure. Hiroki was glad to have Nowaki's large, hot cock inside of him, as it melted the painfully cold ice almost instantly. Nowaki was enjoying the feeling of Hiroki's ever tight embrace, which pulled and stimulated him in the most delightful way.

They pushed against each other desperately, moaning and sighing in rapture. Their bodies were pressed so closely together, that Hiroki's erection was being rubbed against Nowaki's abdomen, and that was all the external stimulation he needed to work towards orgasm. "Ohhh...Nowaki..." Hiroki gasped, his breathing and movements getting erratic.

"Hiro-san..." Nowaki sighed, gripping onto his thighs and thrusting harder. Their mouths met for a kiss, and then they both cried out; Hiroki's forehead pressed into Nowaki's shoulder, as they came simultaneously.

"Happy birthday..." Hiroki whispered. They were cuddling after cleaning up.

"Thank you, Hiro-san," Nowaki responded. He held Hiroki a little tighter and nuzzled his face in his hair. "So, every year, I get to make up something for us to do?"

"I guess," Hiroki mumbled.

"Mmm, wow," was all Nowaki said, and then his eyes got dreamy again.

"Oh, you're already thinking up next year's, aren't you?" Hiroki accused.

"Maybe..." Nowaki chuckled. He squeezed Hiroki affectionately. "I love you, Hiro-san. You're such a cute little thing."

"I'm not cute," Hiroki complained, his face pressed up against Nowaki's bare, muscular chest.

Nowaki kissed the top of his head. "You _are _cute. You're the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"You're a complete idiot," Hiroki mumbled.

"I love you, too, Hiro-san." Hiroki tilted his head up with a blush, and they exchanged a soft kiss before falling asleep together.


End file.
